My Dearest Miroku
by MilleFeuille
Summary: It seemed to be yet another demon battle, but this one appears to be ominously different. After a death threat made by the dying demon, Miroku is attacked by a foe with no definate shape and poisoned. MS fic! Ch 13 FINALLY!
1. A Shadow Approaches

  


**Akida**- Konnichiwa! I must thank you for taking the time to look over this fic (which hopefully will not be crappy). This is my first fic so work with me, and I apologize in advance for any immense OOC'ness. Well going to stop yapping and get on with this story.

  


**Disclaimer-** Bah! Alright fine I don't own any of the characters in Inuyasha, although I seriously wish I did.

  


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My Dearest Miroku

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**

By:Akida

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**

A Shadow Approaches

**

  


Another night had passed, and the shadows that dwelt and thrived on the darkened cloak of night, receded as the rays of the first morns' light stretched its fingers, bathing the country side in the steadily growing warmth. A soft mist had descended, and thus the dew of the previous night would cling to shrubs well into early afternoon. Many a creature that hide from the nocturnal things that crept in the midst of the night, padded cautiously from their dwellings.

  


A little ways away, a village came slowly alive as the fiery orb ascended to the sky, and already the hustle and bustle of morning preparations was underway. Somewhere in an inn closely placed near the main road, a soft groan issued from a sprawling form. This form, as well as the groan, belonged to a monk. One of the many disciples of Buddha….or so its' been thought. This particular monk is known as Miroku, a lecherous monk whose morals have yet to be revealed.

  


Miroku flopped onto his stomach, and for once, refused to drag himself from sleep. The previous day had been rough. The demon they had faced was stubbornly intent upon tearing everything moving and breathing to shreds, and the painful memory of it was displayed in the forms of semi-healed wounds, and numerous bruises on their soar bodies. After a brief mental debate, he cracked an eye open and stared dazedly at a nearby wall, waiting until his vision came into focus. He rose slowly on one elbow and looked over his companions. Kagome, Sango, and Shippo were to his left, and Inuyasha in his usual corner came slowly from sleep and stretched slightly.

  


"Ohayo Gozaimasu Inuyasha," Miroku said reaching for his staff feeling circulation travel properly. All he got was an inaudible mumble about lazy humans, and the hanyou left the vicinity and waited impatiently outside.

  


"Sleep well," Kagome answered. "I feel like I haven't slept at all …think I slept on the back wrong," she added massaging her lower back slowly. She stood up and looked around slowly surveying the inn apparently searching for something in particular.

  


"Hm? Where's Inuyasha? Don't tell me he left without us!-"

  


"Oh come Kagome, he may be rude and insensitive at times but I do not think he would journey on without us," Miroku stated his roaming hand finally reaching its mark and pressed gently against the exterminators soft breast.

  


"I'm awake you know," a groggily familiar voice uttered from below.

  


He froze visibly and turned slowly to the fully awakened Sango, a look of sheer horror crossing the monks face as he backed away from the girls animosity, as she reached for her Boomerang Bone glaring at the shrinking letch. Fortunately for Miroku, they had encountered that long and difficult battle with a formidable demon the day before, so all were bone weary at the moment. As they journeyed away from the village Miroku massaged a considerably sized lump he had received for his perversity, and sighed in defeat feeling the piercing glares he got from time to time.

  


_ That damn monk!,_ Sango thought angrily._ Can't he think about something else besides groping woman! If I wasn't so tired from our earlier encounter, he wouldn't be walking straight! _

  


As they continued on, Shippo grew weary of walking and bounded to perch contentedly on Kagome's shoulder trying to dispel the silence.

  


"Kagome, where are we going, we've been walking for hours!" He asked in the hopes that they actually 'had' a destination, and weren't just wandering around like they had done so many times.

  


"I'm not too sure Shippo-chan," she replied looking over to a certain hanyou. "Maybe you'd like to tell us, Inuyasha, why we've been continuously wandering around with no particular place to go." She said with a hint of annoyance.

  


"Feh, don't whine at me wench! If we keep moving were bound to run into a demon with a Shikon Shard! So shut up and stop pestering me!-"

  


"Baka! We should be resting not roaming around! Not all of us have recovered from that last battle Inuyasha! Not all of us recover as quickly as you, you know!"

  


"Well that ain't my problem now is it?! It's your own fault for being a weakling human!"

  


"*sigh* Here we go again," Miroku groaned and sat on a nearby rock watching the two bicker to and fro.

  


Seems like they've been fighting a lot more lately, sometimes I wonder if that's all they ever do.He mused over this thought and turned slowly to Sango. She shrugged obviously understanding his thoughts, and flopped onto the ground a very good distance from Miroku.

  


_ This one might take a while_, Sango thought sighing slightly rubbing Kirara's ear absently as she purred in gratitude. Shippo also retired to the ground and picked at the grass, exchanging the same thoughts as the other two, and decided that getting involved now might be hazardous.

  


_ Geez why does Inuyasha have to be so insensitive, I feel just fine but I'm sure that Sango and Miroku are still a little tired. Guess they'll get enough rest now, looks like we'll be here for a looooooong time._

  


*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

  


Deep in the forest a massive form lumbered through the undergrowth, the sounds of life dying away as it approached. Its eyes where bloodshot in wrath, and its mouth gapped revealing rows of sharpened yellow fangs. Its body was a whole different story, as it seemed to be alive. The fur covering its huge body wreathed crazily about, and cloaked the demon in thick black layers of this substance. Its visible form remained a mystery. As it staggered along in a maddened state, the growth and plant life seemed to recoil or die away, as it heaved itself closer to the source of its pain and anger. A low growl emitted from somewhere inside the tangled mass, as the scent of its slayers began to grow stronger as it neared, the slayers in question momentarily unaware of the grotesque scene that would soon greet them.

  


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**Akida-** Well what'd you think eh? Like I said this is my first fic, and it's always been a little challenging for me to write about a series currently in existence. Akida likes feed back, please review!


	2. Encounter with a slain foe

  


**Akida-** Arigatou I'm glad you toke the time to read and ::gasp:: review it even! ::happy dance::. Well, it was the first chapter so not much action, and hanging on the edge stuff. Fortunately its rare for me to have writers block, seeing as I'm an insomniac and I get most of my best ideas when I'm staring at a T.V. screen at 1:00 am. Strange way to get inspiration, but heck whatever works, works!

  


**Disclaimer-** ::Nasty glare::………..erg ::grumble grumble::……..fine! I don't own Inuyahsa or any other of the brilliant creations of Ms Rumiko. 

  
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**My Dearest Miroku**

  


**By: Akida**

  


**Encounter with a slain foe**

  


In the tranquil sky above, a crow wheeled lazily upon the thermals, spiraling higher into the vast blue expanse to survey the plains below. It was odd how he could tell when certain death was close at hand, and he waited and watched knowing that patience would reward him.

  


The crow had no knowledge of how correct he was, and the subtle peace before the storm prevailed around the group. Although the momentary battle between Kagome and Inuyasha had subsided (with the aid of a few 'sits'), the sulky dog-demon was to bent on continuing on without rest. Thoroughly exhausted Miroku dozed as he slumped against a rock, watching Shippo occupy himself by playing with Kirara, smiling slightly at the kitsune child but let his eyes wander to Sango subconsciously.

  


_ What's he smiling about?_

  


Sango mused uneasily as she caught a glimpse of Miroku's wandering gaze, and frowned as she followed his eyes to her chest.

  


_ That hentai! No wonder he's grinning, I'll bash his face in for this-._

  


She snapped from her thoughts as the monk stood suddenly, an agitated look on his features as he searched the foliage behind him. She tilted her head and paced to his side whispering softly.

  


"Sir monk, what is it that troubles you?" She didn't get an answer for a long time, and felt that the others had finally noticed the rigidly standing monk. Kagome walked to the two hearing Inuyasha follow her slowly, and tapped Miroku's shoulder as she to surveyed the surrounding forest.

  


"….Something's there…." He said at length narrowing his eyes in concentration, as the others took note of his agitation and migrated over

  


"Kagome, think it's a demon," Inuyasha said hopefully his hand inching towards the swords scabbard.

  


"It-it could be but it doesn't have any shards as far as I can tell-"

  


"Nani? None at all!" Inuyasha nearly gagged.

  


"No, I don't sense any-"

  


"Augh, you've got to be kidding me, what's the point in fighting it then!?"

  


"She speaks the truth Inuyasha" Miroku said feeling the unseen threat draw nearer to them, and tightened his grip on the staff. "Whatever it is, appears to be surprisingly powerfulf…its presence seems somewhat familiar to me though."

  


_ A familiar presence?!_

  


Sango hefted her Boomerang bone, and Inuyasha drew the now transformed Tetsusaiga, pulling Kagome behind himself protectively as she readied an arrow. A deathly silence followed as all indications of life faded, and a heavy tension hung in the air. Almost as suddenly as it began, the sudden hush was smothered by a tearing wail and a crashing noise.

  


The group gapped at the thing that loomed from the forest, and paced backwards in a unit as it advanced. This demon was composed of what appeared to be a mass of globular tentacles, and wreathed about with a mind of their own as they covered the being from head to toe.

  


"What the hell is that!?" Inuyasha gasped as he balanced the swords weight searching for a weak spot.

  


"Is it a demon," Shippo whimpered as he looked over Kagome's shoulder.

  


"Keh well whatever it is, it's officially dead!!"

  


The dog demon bolted towards the beast in a zigzag patter to avoid any direct hits, and held the Wolfs Fang level with the swiftly passing ground. Turning his body around sharply as he made for a supposed opening with a horizontal slash, hoping that there was something tangible below this odd mass. Yelping in surprise as he found himself dangling in a tangle of twisting flesh, and thrashed about wildly with his claws. He broke free from his attacker and landed a good distance away, his mind trying to figure out what had happened while spitting out random bits of the stuff that had entered his mouth. 

  


_ What the?!- What the hell is that thing!! It's like it doesn't have any shape under there!_

  


As Miroku pondered whether or not to use his Kaze'ana, he continued to keep a safe distance from the creature, not wanting to be in the same predicament as Inuyasha was last. He struck out with his staff not surprised to see the gap he had caused close over, but looked back quickly at the hole before it closed, and caught a glimpse of what he thought was the body of a very familiar demon form. He groaned slightly as he saw a large familiar gash made by a huge sword, and dodged another wrathful strike from his attacker.

  


_ I had a feeling this wouldn't bode well. If that is indeed the same demon we slew the day before, how is it that it's right before us now?_

  


~*~*Flashback*~*~

  


** "Now you die Inuyasha!!"** The enraged demon screamed as it lunged towards Inuyasha as he fell to the ground in a bloody heap.

  


"Stay back!" Miroku called towards the demon hoping to get his attention. He had figured out its weakness; a sharpened iron rod had been thrust through its back, and lay imbedded in his flesh along with a Shikon Shard. Thus was the cause of his ability to manipulate anything even remotely metallic, making for a difficult battle as they dodged numerous missiles.

  


The demon was slow to realize that the voice had come from behind, and it wasn't until Miroku leapt to the air, attempting to drive the rod further into the demons flesh that he turned. Although it successfully clawed at the airborne monk, it twisted itself up by the legs in doing so, and inevitably turned and fell to the ground on his 'back'.

  


Miroku cringed as the creature howled in agony, turning away from the protruding rod in its chest, and finally lay still in the steadily growing pools of blood, its supposed slayer standing uneasily to his feet, turning to see Kagome rush towards the fallen dog-demon as he glared at the carcass of the demon.

  


"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried as she ran to his side, anxiously glancing to the gapping wound in his chest.

  


"F-forget about it I'll live but that demon's not so lucky," he said through clenched teeth as he turned to the haggard looking monk.

  


"You fool! You could've been cleaved in two, what the heck were you thinking you idiot!!"

  


"I just had a feeling that would work," he started slowly. "The rod was there for a reason, and boosted by the Shikon Jewel's powers it became his weapon of choice, but it could also serve in breaking through his so called iron defenses. Gomen nasai Inuyasha…..I did not mean to worry you so," he said bowing slightly.

  


"Wha-…Oh give me a break! Why on earth would I be worried about a lecherous nut like you anyway, I wouldn't object to defending one less weakling at all!"

  


Kagome popped a few nerves as she gave him a death glare, and was about to 'sit' him when a grated voice that resounded over the group.

  


"Augh! Hey I'm injured you stupid wench," came an angry growl of protest.

  


** "Fools!!"**Cried a resonating voice cutting off further conversation.

  


**"I will not die so easily!! I will kill you monk and all others who follow you, I will return to bask in your screams of agony as your pitiful life is wrenched from you! That is the only death you deserve for slaying a demon such as I! You shall suffer as I have suffered, and the winds of hell shall sing as they witness your demise!!"**

  


~*~*End Flashback*~*~

  


_ How can this be?!_, the monk's thoughts screamed.

  


_He was slain we watched him die. Is it possible that his soul cannot rest until it has accomplished its goal? Hate and malice may be the only things that drive this demon now...but how do we defeat such a foe?_

  


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**Akida-**Phew hope this chapter sounded a little more interesting, still working on the "cliffhanger" abilities. Well what are you waiting for? Review for Akida!

  



	3. Doku

  


**Akida-** Bah sorry about the long wait, illness's seem to creep up on you when you least expect them to. I indeed mean to continue on with this story, seeing as it's been bugging me that I couldn't update it. 

  


**-:-Disclaimer-:-** Well…if I owned Inuyasha I wouldn't be writing this disclaimer now would I? 

  


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**

My Dearest Miroku

**

  


**

By: Akida

**

  


**

Doku

**

  


There was no doubt in the monk's mind; this had to be the same enemy that they had slain earlier. It displayed so many distinguishable traits, but didn't seem to realize that it no longer had its original weapon; the iron rod. Throughout the battle, the group was more concerned about avoiding entanglement in the creatures hide, and at the same time attempt to destroy it once and for all. If that was even possible.

  


_ This isn't good. We have no idea where its weak point is, and we can't risk getting to close to it,_ Sango thought frantically as she observed the surrounding vegetation die, as it was touched by the demon.

  


_ But how are we supposed to kill this thing, I can't find a weak point anywhere_

  


Miroku shared the same thoughts as her, along with the others, but was at a loss as to what could be done. It was obvious that sword slashes were not effective, and any other dent made to the creature molded back into place again, although it seemed to have some effect, Shippo's Fox Fire was also ineffective, and that worried him all the more. Kagome had been raining down arrows on it, but it would manage to dodge them quite well but it was maimed considerably by the purity they radiated. This detail did not go unnoticed by the monk

  


_ It may be immune to any mortal weapon, but Kagome's arrows still have a damaging effect on it,_ Miroku mused watching Inuyasha detangle himself from the mesh of flesh once again.

  


_ If only there was some way to distract it, then maybe Kagome could get in a clean shot._

  


He hadn't any other way to distract it enough to turn its attention to someone else, but he did have one way that would definitely catch its eye. Without further thought that might force him to rethink the situation, he removed the rosary from his hand and let the winds do their work, letting out a quick warning to anyone in the line of danger.

  


The plan worked well and he soon found a globular mass of tentacles drawing nearer to him than he wanted, and he ignored the constant warnings of danger that urged him to flee. He toke a few steps back as the bewildered demon was drawn against its will into the hellish winds, and Miroku looked again as he saw something amiss and nearly leapt from his skin.

  


_ What?! I-I haven't been drawing it in at all! It's been walking towards me this whole time!_

  


A sudden wave of panic over toke him, and for a minute he forgot where he was as time seemed to move slower. The monk shook himself from his thoughts immediately and began backing away from the demon, and the feral glint in its wrathful eyes as it lumbered towards him.

  


**_ "You shall bleed,"_** its gurgling voice echoed in his mind.

  


**_ "You shall pay for what you've done with your life!"_**

  


"W-what." Miroku stammered dumbly as he stumbled backwards, and thought frantically what he could've possibly done, to cause this demon such anger towards him alone.

  


_ What have I done?! Tell what could I possibly have done to 'cause your anger towards me?!_

  


It occurred to him that he was lacking in retreating space, and would soon be at the edge of a shallow chasm, most likely scored into the earth by a previous demon battle. He realized that this was the distraction they needed, and regardless of what damaging results it might cost him, he shouted over to Kagome praying that her aim would not be off this time around.

  


"Kagome! Strike it, down strike it down with your arrow!" He yelled frantically.

  


"But Miroku-"

  


"Forget about me! It will be worse for all of us if this is not done!"

  


_ Just don't miss the enemy and hit me instead._

  


Kagome reluctantly notched an arrow to her bow, and sighted down the shaft towards her target. Meanwhile Inuyasha managed to pry himself from the ground, and groaned in protest to his aching limbs as well as to the situation at hand.

  
"Are you out of your mind!? What if you miss and hit him you stupid wen-mph!"   


"Never mind that Kagome he trusts you," Sango said hurriedly stifling the hanyou's mouth as he flailed about. "Do what has to be done, hurry Lady Kagome."

  


Taking another glance at Sango she resumed her concentration, and tensed inwardly as Miroku reached the edge of the chasm with the grotesque body of their enemy closing in on him. She squeezed her eyes shut to clear her mind, and breathed as she sighted down the shaft again.

  


_ Please hit! _

  


Within that narrow stretch of time a number of things happened.

  


Inuyasha broke free of Sango's grasp and rushed towards the demon sword drawn, despite he would not reach his destination in time.

  


Miroku cried out as the demon latched hold of him with what could've been its hand. A concentrated pain soon enveloped his left arm spreading quickly throughout his body, and he tried desperately to release himself from the wreathing mass as it seared into his flesh.

  


The arrow hissed through the air and made its connection with the target, the fruits of that small victory rent the air in the form of agonizing screams. Then time stood still.

  


Miroku watched in a daze as his former attacker dissipated before him, the usual reaction that came with Kagome's purifying arrows, and remembered nothing more than a faint voice screaming his name. Then darkness enveloped him in a dreamless sleep.

  


* * * * * * * * * * * * *

  


Sango watched as things moved at a snails pace, and thought she heard Kagome screaming Miroku's name. That scream wasn't Kagome's, but came from her voice as she dashed to his side.

  


"M-Miroku," she said in a hushed voice as she reached his still form. 

  


She stiffened slightly as he didn't respond, and shook him gently as the others congregated. 

  


"Ah my gosh he's dead!" Shippo wailed gripping his head in frustration, "what do we do, what do we do! He's going to come and haunt us I just know it!!"

  


"What _you_ can do is quit that infernal racket!" Inuyasha barked silencing the kitsune with an added glare, and winced as his outburst upset the wounds taken by the battle with their odd adversary.

  


Kagome shook her head and scampered off to dig in her overly-sized bag in the distance, her companion's eyes following in confusion as she went.

  


"Where the hell is she going?" Inuyasha remarked raising an eyebrow.

  


"You think she'll revive him with a Shikon Shard?" Shippo asked hopefully, and in return was rewarded with a sound smack over the head. "Ow, what was that for!?"

  


"Baka! Why in the seven hells would she do something stupid like that?! Let the dead rest for crying out loud!"

  


"SIT!"

  


*THUD*

  


"Gee Inuyasha," Kagome glared at the imprint in the ground. "I had no idea you had so much respect for people, I should give you a medal." She said sarcastically approaching the still form of the monk, a mirror clutched in her hand. She turned to Sango with a smile and knelt down next to her. 

  
"Don't worry I'm sure he's fine Sango but just to be sure," she said to her an astonished look on the exterminators face.   


Sango looked down at the monk and flinched turning a deep shade of red. Through all the turmoil she hadn't noticed that she'd drawn his body towards her, and was cradled his head as if he'd disappear without physical contact. Temporarily losing her gift of speech, she pulled away from him quickly and knelt next to Kagome, still trying to grasp exactly how that happened. 

  


Kagome shrugged holding the mirror near his face holding her breath, and relaxed as its surface misted slightly.

  


"Good," she sighed in relief. "He's still breathing, barely, but it's better than nothing. But if we don't get him somewhere to treat his wounds, he might not be that way much longer."

  
Inuyasha was about to make another comment about the still living Miroku, but was silenced by a death-like glare from Kagome. Wasting no time at all, they were on their way to Kaede's residence; Inuyasha bearing Miroku, Kirara bearing Kagome Sango and Shippo. The speed at which they traveled continued to agitate Sango, and she looked over towards Inuyasha periodically.   


_ What's wrong with me? Why am I so worried all of a sudden? Could it be that I really am worried about him..._

  


She brushed the thought from her mind for now, and kept her eyes focused on their destination as the village came into view.

  


Upon reaching the desired residence Inuyasha called out for Kaede, making it sound more like an order than a request for assistance.

  


"I bet he couldn't ask for something nicely even if his life depended on it," Shippo whispered to Kagome, who snickered quietly. The hanyou of discussion twitched an ear in their direction, but paid no attention to the conversation as the old woman emerged. 

  


"I could have guessed it was ye. Thy voice is unmistakably harsh," she said carrying a satchel under her arm, its contents appeared to be from a previous healing appointment.

  
"Yeah, yeah whatever old woman," Inuyasha remarked in his usual gruff tone. "Look, we were fighting off another demon and I think it did something to the monk before it died. He's looking a little on the lifeless side."

  


Kaede motioned to a fresh mat in the far corner of the next room, and Inuyasha strolled over towards it followed by the usual assembly. He proceeded to drop Miroku's body to the floor, looked over and got a slightly pale expression, then set him down gently as if he were the most fragile thing in the universe. Sango raised an eyebrow at Kagome.

  


_ Wish I had that same control on people as she does, it would certainly save me the time and energy._

  


"This shall take but a minute," Kaede said eyeing the sprawled form and knelt sifting through the satchels contents.

  


The crowd filled out slowly, Sango being the last to leave as she stole a glance at the monk. Upon exiting a small gathering had collected outside Kaede's hut at the sudden commotion, and was immediately dispersed as the dog-demon emerged and leaned against the weather beaten wood.

  


Shippo contented himself with sitting on the ground with Kirara, and Kagome sat alongside him to distract her worries as Inuyasha watched her absently. Sango seemed to be the only one fraught with anxiety and tried to display this as little as possible. She still couldn't believe she was so worked up over this, things like this happened to them all the time, whether it be Miroku or another member of the group.

  


_ Just calm down Sango, Kaede said it wouldn't take long so there's nothing to worry about...right?_

  


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

  


Minutes turned to hours, and Sango's patience was beginning to wear thin. Not only her but Inuyasha, not the best example of patience, had taken to pacing like a caged animal. Shippo had long ago retired to sleep, and now Kagome threatened to follow suit. 

  


_ What's taking so long?! It's gotten far too late already, what could possibly take this long!_

  


As if her thoughts had been answered, Kaede pushed back the worn rush screen, with a grim look touching her features. She raised a hand at any questions that were to be asked of her, and motioned for them to be silent and follow her inside.

  


"Come we should discuss this matter seated." 

  


Sango was overcome by a sickened feeling, and reluctantly crept inside bringing up the rear.

  


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**Akida-** Well that certainly was interesting! *sarcasm, sarcasm*. I probably put a few of you to sleep with this chapter, I'm still recovering so that maybe where some of the dullness is coming from. Now for those that are still awake, please review for Akida and suggestions are more than welcome!

  



	4. A Matter of Arms

Akida-Thanks for the suggestions I appreciate it! I also noticed I kinda screwed up the 2nd chapter, so sorry about that. Not sure why it got all crunched up like that, but it looked fine while I was typing it out...hm...ah well on with it!  
-:-Disclaimer-:- Same standards still apply, we don't own Inuyasha. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
My Dearest Miroku  
By:Akida  
A Matter of Arms  
The group followed the old woman inside and towards the rear of the residence, the uneasy silence broken by the creaking of the wooden floor. The back room was quiet and calming, thus used for critically ill patients and such. This worried Sango.  
  
A rush mat was laid near the center a little towards the far wall, and a form had already occupied it. It was Miroku. He seemed to have fallen asleep as he didn't acknowledge their entrance. His face was faintly pale and a fresh bandage was wrapped around his left forearm.  
"Please be seated," Kaede said when all had clustered inside the small homey space. When they were settled Kaede glanced to the latent monk, and turned towards them picking her words carefully. She wanted to them to understand exactly what the dilemma was.  
"This may take some time to explain properly, so I request to leave all questions until I have finished."  
'Oh wonderful,' Inuyasha reflected adjusting himself to a better position.  
"Now, it may not come as a surprise to ye but I believe that Miroku may have been poisoned." Sango's shoulders slumped weakly, Kagome and Shippo doing likewise. "Although, this seems to be a toxin that has not been witnessed in some time, and did not bear any recorded label." At this point she retrieved a worn scroll from her sleeve, and opened the aged article with care.  
"The only known information of it is in this scroll, and I have not come across anymore concerning it so far. By the looks of it, it seems as if demons are more susceptible to it than humans, yet I would have thought it the other way around for various reasons concerning strength, endurance and such. It is easily recognized when one has been infected, for an odd darkly tinged blemish is left upon the skin where this toxin has been transferred. Unlike most toxins, fortunately, this particular one takes a considerable amount of time for any damaging effect to occur, but it still cannot be left as is or it will be fatal. If it is not treated then it will cause the victim a great deal of pain once it becomes worse, so we must avoid that at all costs if it is possible."  
"But Kaede," Kagome spoke up, "how are we going to help him is there some kind of cure?"  
  
The old woman turned to her with a grim and sorrowed expression upon her features, and Kagome could guess by that what her answer would be.  
  
"Sadly there is no existing cure that I am aware of," she said this slowly as if each word pained her as she spoke.  
  
Kagome looked to the floor dejectedly and stared hard at folded hands, trying to convince herself that there were many other places that may know something more about this toxin than Kaede. Shippo whimpered faintly and donned a childishly worried expression, taking a glance towards Inuyasha who was starring off in space, his eyes misted in thought.  
Sango toke this moment to speak up. She knew somehow what the verdict was concerning a cure, and although she was prepared to hear her out she still refused to accept it.  
  
"Lady Kaede," she began wincing as her voice sounded raspy from lack of speech. "What can we do for him at present?"  
"All that we can do for him now is to let him rest, I'm afraid that neither thee nor I can do anything at the moment. I may know of one well learned Healer who can give us aid, but let us wait until Miroku has regained a bit more strength, remember there is still time to save him." She said with a comforting smile trying to lift the troubled girl's spirits.  
  
"Well I'm guessing someone's got to stay here and watch him," Shippo declared taking up a serious look and crossing his small arms across his chest importantly. Kagome stifled a giggle as she observed his cute impression.  
  
"And I suppose you're going to volunteer yourself Shippo-chan?" Kagome said nudging him gently, but caused him to roll off balance and end up on his side.  
  
"..*mph*.Who me? Nah I was thinking maybe a certain dog-demon could lend a hand in this one," he said tilting his head to glance at the discussed individual. Inuyasha twitched an ear in annoyance.  
  
"Why do I have to?" He started turning to the two, "what's wrong with *you* taking care of him eh?"  
Kagome raised an eyebrow. "Seriously Inuyasha, he may be sleeping peacefully now but what about when he wakes up huh? You really think he'll be too weak to test out how far he can get this time?"  
  
She allowed Inuyasha's sluggish mind to translate what she'd been implying, and he grimaced when it had finally sunk in and huffily stood to his feet.  
"Feh," was all the answer she got from him and shrugged as Shippo latched onto her arm.  
  
"I'll watch him Lady Kagome," Sango said decisively.  
  
"Are you sure about that Sango?"  
  
"Don't worry I doubt he'll try anything with me for a while," she said with a wink, and patted her trusty weapon.  
  
"Oh I see," Kagome replied with a chuckle.  
  
"Seems that's settled," Kaede interrupted shaking her head. "Now before I retire I will leave some things with you Sango."  
  
The exterminator sat up straighter indicating that she would give her undivided attention.  
  
"I have heated a jar of salve that should be used when you do redress his wound, the added warmth will help, and it should stay warm through the night so there is no need for ye to reheat it. Seems that it has a positive effect on the injury so I will have to compose a larger amount for future use, other than that there is nothing more I can tell ye besides keep a vigil upon him."  
"Right," she said soaking up Kaede's instructions like a sponge. The old woman observed her for a moment then chuckled quietly with a thin smile.  
"What?" Sango asked baffled at her reaction. Kaede continued down the hall waving a hand dismissing her question.  
  
"Never ye mind child, never ye mind."  
  
"Lady Kaede--?" 'What was that about?'  
  
She shrugged it off turning towards the prone form of the monk. She watched him dazedly studying his sleep induced tranquility, admiring the way the firelight contoured his pale face. She settled herself in a spot near him and breathed tiredly, feeling the rush of the day's events catch up with her as she yawned contentedly. Slipping into a dozing state she straightened up when a groan issued from Miroku, and he shifted positions uncomfortably mumbling something inaudible. Watching him, she waited until she was confident that he had relaxed once more, and resumed her attempt at rest and wasn't bothered as a well deserved slumber overcame her.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
Sometime in the later hours of the night when the ground was just being carpeted in a thin film of mist, Miroku stirred restlessly as his "dead-to- the-world" status receded at a leisurely pace. He felt a throbbing sensation assailing his head forcing him into unwelcome wakefulness, and moaned in protest as he attempted to raise a hand to comfort the distress.  
'What? .I can't move my arm.'  
He turned his head to his left and observed his bandaged forearm, the proceedings of the day prior to this flooding back to his mind; although he wished it not due to the ache it bore.  
'Now I remember, that demon latched onto my arm. That burning feeling must have been from something it inflicted upon me.'  
He had just made up his mind to retreat to the depths of restless sleep when he noticed another occupying the space next to him, and gradually altered his weak body to face it. He was bemused at who it was.  
'Sango?!'  
Sango had slid further and further towards the floor as the night progressed, and was now lying on her side enclosed in the warmth of a worn coverlet. He watched her for a long time and his drowsy wit confirmed that she was still asleep, wincing as he lay on his injured arm letting a diminutive cry of discomfort leave unchecked. Being a light sleeper Sango was roused almost instantly, and gazed over to the form that emitted the noise.  
"Hm? Miroku," she said softly rubbing at her eye.  
  
"Gomen Sango, did I wake you?" he replied apologetically.  
  
She glanced to him replying, "No. don't worry about it. You're the one who should be resting more, not I."  
  
He was about to protest when a wave of nausea overcame him, and groaned in annoyance. 'I feel like something chewed on me, and left me for dead.' Sango shook her head, and asked him softly.  
  
"Oi, do you..do you want to know what's wrong with-"  
  
"I know," he interrupted closing his eyes. "Kaede had already informed me of my fate before the rest of you entered."  
  
"Oh, I see." She added slowly fidgeting with a loosed thread, and averted her gaze to the floor.  
  
'So I guess he already knows that there may be no cure.'  
  
She looked up in time to catch him from rising from the mat, and made to push him back down but gravity, and his injury, had already done that for her. He winced slightly as his sore body connected with the floor, and Sango placed a hand over her face and shook her head.  
  
"What did I say eh? You *need* to rest Miroku. Kaede instructed that we aren't to budge you, until you're well enough to walk without falling over every two seconds."  
  
Miroku turned to her and nodded wordlessly closing his eyes, taking a weak breath letting his body become limp. Sango stared at him perplexed. 'Eh? What's wrong with him?'  
  
"Miroku?"  
  
No answer.  
  
"Miroku!?"  
  
No answer.  
  
'Oh dear god! Don't tell me there's something else wrong with him?!'  
"Miroku! Say something!" Sango cried frantically leaning over him shaking his shoulders gently, staring into his face regretting anything terrible she'd done to him. She was about to crumple into hurried confessions of how she wished him not to leave, when a proverbial weight placed itself on her lower back, and Sango found herself pressed against the "supposedly" latent monk. She first turned a deep shade of crimson as she looked into Miroku's pleased face, and then donned an expression that could curdle milk. Her Boomerang Bone was too far to reach, and she didn't want to cause him any superfluous pain, and dealt him a mild blow with the back of her hand.  
"You filthy little."  
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Akida- Phew, this seemed like a long chapter for me, then again Microsoft Word seems to make ALL my chapters look long o.0; . Now, see that button in the bottom left-hand corner that says 'Go'.yeah that one. You know what to do! 


	5. Making Decisions

Akida- Well I guess its been awhile since I last updated. I was very ill and typing didn't seem attractive at that time. I didn't expect to get a lot of reviews on this, but it seems I've been proven otherwise. So now I shall continue the saga!!  
  
-:-Disclaimer-:- Oh come on, would I really write a disclaimer if I owned Inu-yasha? (I still wish I did though) ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
My Dearest Miroku  
  
By: Akida  
  
Making Decisions  
  
The calm chill of night had passed and dawns rosy fingers stretched over the horizon, bathing the earth in light once more. Another night had passed, yet the fogs remained churning up an ominous presence.  
  
Miroku had slept fitfully waking at all hours of the night to adjust his weight, the accursed wound troubling him. It was morning by the time he found a satisfactory position, groaned irritably feeling the chill creep in through cracks.  
  
'Wonderful, just when I've found a spot that won't bother my wound, the sun comes up!'  
  
He sat up groggily trying to convince his limbs to move his body, and surveyed the dim room when his efforts failed. However, he was grateful that the relentless pounding in his head had subsided, and thanked whatever divine power had spared him of that nuisance.  
  
The monks roaming eyes came to rest on a prone object on the floor, and his 'early-morning' wit registered minutes later that it was Sango. He shook his head and grinned slightly, memories of the previous nights groping attempts returning to him.  
  
'She went easy on me that time, must be the cause of my injury. Maybe I should injure myself more often.'  
  
He studied her face, vaguely flushed from the cold of night an expression of peace settling over her. He wondered what dreams could be displaying this external appearance of calm, and hoped that she would remain that way even in consciousness.  
  
Gathering the heavy cloth that had shielded him from the drafts closely about his frame, he strode towards the entrance of the small room. Shivering from the fogs brush against his paled skin, he crouched down and starred out into the impenetrable blanket of mist, watching his breath rise in faint plumes.  
  
'What should I do now? I have two options before me: Remain here and let deaths hand guide me to rest, or go forth and search for a possibly nonexistent cure.'  
  
The monk grumbled realizing that either way the wound would take its toll on him, and leaned against the wooden structure, arms crossed, frustrated with his predicament and his vulnerable condition.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
* * * *  
  
Sango cracked an eye open and gathered the coverlet around her, feeling well rested for the first time in months. She sighed raising herself on an elbow to greet Miroku, assuming he was still awake, and froze at the empty place beside her.  
  
'Where is he!?'  
  
She scrabbled up hurriedly tripping herself in the process, and dashed outside in a panic when her search had been fruitless.  
  
Miroku turned to stare at a haggard Sango and raised a confused eyebrow.  
  
"Um..Sango, is something wrong?" He said quietly.  
  
"Eh?" she started shaking her head laughing nervously. "Um no, no, nothings wrong, just thought I'd.uh.wake up earlier today you know. Got things to do and such."  
  
"I see," he replied eyes fixed on the ground in profound thought. Sango donned a concerned look, kneeling down beside him.  
  
"I think I should be asking ::you:: what's wrong. You don't look well Miroku." When she didn't get an answer, she moved to face him and crouched to his eye level.  
  
"Miroku!" she said louder watching the mists of contemplation to leave his eyes.  
  
"Eh," he replied dazedly and rushed into an apology before she swatted him for ignoring her. "P-Please forgive me Sango, I-I didn't mean to--"  
  
'Nope, he is definitely not ok.' She shook her waving away his hurried explanations, laughing slightly to reassure him that she wasn't going to do anything damaging to him.  
  
"Don't worry I'm not going to smack you monk, it wouldn't be fair to hurt an injured man." She said standing up to look down on him in, hands on hips eyeing him. "But, don't think just because you're wounded you can grope me and get away with it."  
  
He cringed visibly, guessing that she hadn't forgotten the previous night's attempts. 'Well she certainly doesn't miss much, or let things slip easily.'  
  
She smiled and averted her gaze hoping she hadn't noticed her starring, and turned towards the mist shrouded landscape. The fog had diminished significantly and didn't have its 'pea-soup' consistency, and she could finally see Kaede's hut in the distance.  
  
"Miroku..what are you going to do now?" She said turning to him slowly.  
  
"I don't know," he replied resting his chin on crossed arms. "There isn't much I can do regarding my current position. I can search for a cure that possibly does not exist, or I can remain her and meet my demise. Either way, I do not think I will survive this."  
  
"Don't say that Miroku," she said placing a hand on his arm. "We have to consider that maybe this ::Healer:: Kaede was speaking of, could have knowledge of how to treat this injury. Besides, we still must see to Naraku's undoing that is why all of us are hear, because we want to end this once and for all. There's still a chance no matter how far fetched it may seem, and we can't give up on that."  
  
The tired monk starred into her face seeing how sincere she felt about her words, and realized that she was doing everything in her power to ease his pain. Although there was some truth to it, he did want to destroy Naraku and rid himself of his curse, and he knew now that he decision based on these facts.  
  
"Sango," he began with a stern look. "Your right I can't give up now, Naraku must be eliminated and we are the ones that must see to that job. I won't ever lose sight of that again, it wouldn't be very becoming of monk," he added raising his left hand in a praying position. "I thank you for keeping me on a just path, from which I would have strayed."  
  
"Good," she nodded with a satisfied smile twitching an eyebrow. "Now before I have a chance to inflict any mortally painful injuries, perhaps you could remove your ::other:: hand from my chest?"  
  
"Hand? What hand," he flustered innocently extracting his wandering limb and tried his best to look dignified. "I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about."  
  
"Don't try your luck you letch," she replied icily getting to her feet laughing inwardly. "I'm giving you an immense amount of slack, don't screw it up."  
  
"Ehehehe.."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
* * *  
  
The sun had climbed higher in the sky, the fogs had long departed, leaving the lands alive with the bustle of activity, many going to and from the fields. Near Kaede's hut a group of children chased after a stray dog, their laughter doing nothing to subside the reverse setting within.  
  
The group within sat in a tight half-circle focused on two figures: Kaede and Miroku. The monk listened intently to the old woman, taking in the whereabouts of the suggested Healer.  
  
"He resides in the mountain village Shizen one day's journey from here, and goes by the name Sai. I advise that ye leave as soon as possible to save the time that is left," he nodded keeping his face emotionless. "I have great faith in his abilities Miroku, if there is anyone who can help you now it is him."  
  
"Kaede," Kagome began. "Is there anything we can do to lessen the infections effects?"  
  
"As I have told ye," she started spreading her arms wide. "This is far beyond my abilities."  
  
"Then why aren't we leaving now eh? I sure as hell won't have ::his:: death on my shoulders." He muttered before he was eating a face full of wood floor.  
  
Kagome glared at the sprawled fuming shape on the floor. "Maybe you want to leave, but we haven't even asked what Miroku wants to do! It's his decision this time Inuyasha! So ::sit:: still and wait for him to decide you jerk! "  
  
With another 'don't-mess-with-me-now' glare at him, she turned a smiling cheerful face towards the monk. "Well, what do you want to do now Miroku? It's entirely up to you."  
  
'Sheez, what rapid mood changes she has,' he contemplated laughing nervously and rose to follow. "Well Inuyasha ::is:: correct we should leave immediately."  
  
"Alright then let's go," she said happily then exchanged glowering looks with Inuyasha.  
  
Sango rose with Shippo clinging to her arm, which was safer than Kagome's for that moment, and trailed behind the two retreating figures but stopped to turn to Miroku.  
  
"Are you sure you are well enough to begin this journey, we don't know how far we'll have to go if we do find a cure," She asked again to be sure.  
  
"Don't worry about it Sango," he replied smiling thinly. "Besides the longer I wait the worse it may become."  
  
Realizing he had already set his mind on it, she nodded and turned to Kaede. "I thank you for your advice we shall make the best of it."  
  
The old woman bowed her head slowly and motioned for her to catch up with the others. Taking one last look at the old woman, she shouldered her Boomerang Bone hearing the soft padded feet of Kirara follow close behind her.  
  
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Akida- Egh, writers block stinks. I think I kinda fudged up this chapter -_- ;; but don't run off without reviewing! Akida will greatly appreciate it! 


	6. Onward to Shizen

Akida- FF.net decided to be evil and not let me update my fic, but unfortunately it couldn't stop me! Now I'll try my best to make this chapter interesting, but my brain has been attacked with a fresh idea for another story. Arg! Why does that always happen? Anyways, forget about the author on with the story.  
  
-:-Disclaimer-:-..same thing still applies.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
My Dearest Miroku  
  
By: Akida  
  
Onward to Shizen  
  
The sun had climbed higher in the sky beating down on the earth like an ever watchful red eye. Much to the dismay of travelers going a long way, the hazy sky that blotted out the eye promised rain in days to come, widely accepted by organic matter after the past months drought.  
  
The group had left the village 6 hours ago making their trek towards the mountains, traveling on a southern course which ended them on a rough beaten path raised above the surrounding plains, closely grouped trees could be seen as they tangled themselves in each others twisted branches.  
  
Shippo couldn't stand the looming silence any longer, and was now striking up a conversation with Kagome as he rode in the basket of her bike. He was speaking a million words a minute in which she just nodded and commented on, whenever she caught what he was saying.  
  
She was hoping to speak to someone herself as she plodded along with the others, yet the other three seemed to be lost in concentrated though..well..at least she knew one of them was deep in thought as he lagged behind.  
  
Kagome turned to look towards their purple and black clad member, his expression partially hidden by loose hair that had fallen over his eyes. He was so far behind that she worried that his poisoned wound was slowing him, and she quickened her pace to match Inuyasha's 'slave driver' pace whispering softly to him.  
  
"Inuyasha..Miroku's falling behind again, shouldn't we slow down for him?"  
  
"Tch, if this keeps up I'll be an old man before we even see Shizen." Despite his response he halted and turned to watch for the straggler, arms folded within his crimson sleeves.  
  
It was a while before he rounded the next bend, keeping the same downcast expression. He stopped suddenly and looked up. To Sango he seemed to have aged 4 years, and thinned considerably. But she knew it as fatigue.  
  
"Geez monk, while were young! If you're that tired," he looked away attempting to look uninterested, letting his voice soften. "Then you should've said something."  
  
'Inuyasha.' Kagome smiled inwardly. It was difficult at times, but he could show more than his gruff side when he wanted to.  
  
Sango hadn't paid much attention her surroundings, but now she felt she should be more alert. If they were to be attacked, he would be exceptionally vulnerable. She made a mental note of that, and stuck to it from then on.  
  
"Inuyasha's right, there's no need to overexert yourself. Kaede said the village wouldn't be a far journey, we can rest if you like."  
  
Miroku contemplated this for a moment, and was about to comply when that annoying voice told him otherwise.  
  
'Its not like you have all the time in the world you know, who knows you just might die tomorrow.'  
  
'But although my injury doesn't bother me now, its poison still had an impact on my body. Besides its only been two days since that incident..I think.'  
  
'We'll wouldn't it be better if you had a better time estimate? Wouldn't you feel sooooo much better if you actually knew more about this screwed up situation your in?'  
  
He decided he ::did:: want to know more, and decided that he really didn't have time to waste.  
  
"I thank you for your offer, but I would feel much more at ease if we got there as soon as possible." He replied to the group, doing well to mask his exhaustion.  
  
With a nod Inuyasha turned around swiftly and strode onward, taking his position at the front of their entourage. Shippo resumed his chattering, but this time Kagome's mind wasn't as intent on listening. She wanted to persuade Miroku to rest, but she could understand his want to get this over with. but still.  
  
Meanwhile, Miroku had taken up his downcast expression and fell into a semi- meditative state. He wanted to focus on what he needed to do in spite of the little information they had.  
  
He had sensed that the rains would come sometime during the night, and he wanted to continue on to a more sheltered area. He racked his brains unearthing the locations of many establishments he'd stayed the night in, and tried to place them to their present surroundings.  
  
'If my memory hasn't failed me, I think their maybe something to the east side of this road. How far away was it now?..5 miles from here I think.or maybe it was 3.'  
  
He felt something stiff and warm bump into his shoulder, and his jumbled thoughts hadn't allowed rationality to take over. He went rigid almost instantly distancing himself from whatever it was, as he nearly leapt out of his skin catching his breath.  
  
Sango starred at him perplexed. All she had done was shift her weapon to a more comfortable position, and had leaned against him accidentally in the process.  
  
'Sheez, how paranoid can you get.' "Miroku, if I was really going to hit you I would've done it a long time ago." She said scratching her head walking away from him.  
  
'What's his problem all of a sudden?'  
  
He mentally kicked himself, and sighed heavily trying to still the hammering in his chest. 'We'll maybe if you hadn't snuck up on me like that.'  
  
'Its your fault for not paying attention, some demon could've made off with you and you wouldn't even know it!'  
  
'I usually sense things like ::demons:: before their about to dismember me!... Wait a minute! Why am I even arguing with you! Go away.'  
  
'Sheez alright, alright already. No need to get defensive.'  
  
Groaning irritably he did his best to catch up to the receding forms of his friends, ignoring that annoying little voice.  
  
He managed to catch up with them but he was terribly out of breath, doing his best not to sound like a dying animal. Sango had been talking with Kagome and Shippo, and found it a wonder how the miko could understand a word of what the kitsune was saying. Hearing the familiar footsteps of their slacker, she turned to him and wondered where he had been.  
  
She could tell he was breathing hard and wondered what happened to him. Slowing her pace she made sure that he saw her this time, she didn't want him to freak out again.  
  
"You don't look so well are you ok?" She said softly casting him a sideways glance.  
  
"I dunno what do you think?" He responded sarcastically turning away stiffly.  
  
Sango turned to him slightly at the sudden growl his voice acquired, and she felt somewhat hurt by it. She clammed up immediately.  
  
After a long uneasy silence, broken only by Kagome and Shippo's conversation, Miroku spoke again almost inaudible to hearing.  
  
"....I'm sorry Sango..I didn't mean to..."  
  
She picked up the hint of guilt, which was sincere enough for her.  
  
"Its alright...I understand this isn't easy for you Miroku," she said with a smile. "We've all been through a lot, and I was actually wondering when one of us, besides Inuyasha, would get a little cranky."  
  
She was relieved when he loosened up and laughed, coughing slightly as he did. "I think maybe Inuyasha's moods are starting to rub off on me."  
  
"That wouldn't surprise me one bit," she laughed. She stayed behind to keep him company, and found herself in a heated conversation about anything that came to mind. As they wandered from subject to subject she was surprised that he hadn't groped her once, and pondered if he was a body double and that the ::real:: Miroku was tied up somewhere.  
  
As they plodded on Miroku found that he felt at ease in her presence, as if nothing else mattered other than them. Despite the grief he felt over his helpless situation, he found that it had melted away letting the care-free personality he was known for, roam the surface of his being as it had always done. It was rare that Sango smiled at him, due to his notorious 'habit', and he decided to resist himself and be semi-normal just this once.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
The group had walked for hours, and the scenery refused to change to the rocky terrain that signaled the beginning of the Highlands. The shrubbery bent with the long due of heavy rains as they fell silently, and the onslaught of cold tears began to beat down mercilessly from above.  
  
Luckily, the area they had passed through a short way back was riddled with caves in an oddly placed cliff, scoring deep into the rocky earth it had been placed in. The high cliff appeared out of place in its lush surroundings, and it brought Inuyasha to consider it the remains of a demon battle long past.  
  
Even though the large central cave brought a considerably amount of shelter, it didn't make Miroku feel any more secure.  
  
Maybe he was becoming paranoid after all.  
  
The other caves were too small and most held a nauseating scent that even Inuyasha refused to comply with, and the only other option was the larger cave.  
  
Miroku was reluctant. Even if its walls swept back towards the heart of the rise, providing a safe haven, he still didn't want to be out while it was raining.  
  
The rain would drench the scent of anything in the area, giving the creatures that dwelled and loved the darkness, the opportunity to take their quarry by surprise.  
  
Ok..Miroku was paranoid.  
  
Heavier rain would come later in the week, but for now it could be patient. The others seemed not to mind at all, as they conversed on what their next plan of action was, but somehow he couldn't ease the knot in his stomach.  
  
"If this rain gets any worse it's going to be difficult to travel, and it will get worse." Inuyasha said as he starred at the entrance of their refuge, watching the landscape fade into a muddled gray haze.  
  
"Do you think we could avoid it if we traveled faster," Kagome suggested as she searched every corner of her bag for a sweater.  
  
"Tch, we could travel faster if ::someone:: wasn't always lagging behind." He said loud enough for Miroku to hear, and got a death glare from Kagome.  
  
"We'll we can't just ::make:: him go faster, remember that he's still carrying that poisoned wound...So what do we do?" Shippo asked stifling a yawn.  
  
"Well, we need to get to Shizen as soon as possible before the weather turns ugly." Sango spoke up poking a dried stick at the meager flames of the fire to keep them alive. "The last thing we need is a delay. Time is of the essence, and we cant afford to loose any."  
  
As if in response, four heads turned to glance at the monk's crouched form. He had positioned himself near the far wall on their left, and he hadn't been listening to the conversation. He couldn't explain it but he now had an immense dislike for the gloomy weather, and he narrowed his eyes in discomfort as he watched the haze.  
  
Ever since the first drops of rain had fallen, he had been in a sour mood but kept himself in line. It wasn't like him to be this moody over weather before, but now he wanted nothing more than to have it let up.  
  
The two human girls where oblivious to his sudden change, but the other two members were fiercely aware of it. Kagome and Sango continued the discussion on what their next move should be, but Inuyasha kept a careful vigil on Miroku.  
  
He knew he was distressed over this whole ordeal, but now his mood had darkened. Out of respect for his friend, Inuyasha had given him distance room guessing he was meditating to keep his nerves in place, but now he wasn't so sure that immobile figure was meditating.  
  
He felt a weight on his shoulder and turned to see Shippo perched on it, but his expression was concentrated un-like his usual sunny appearance.  
  
'So he can sense it too eh.' Inuyasha thought glad to have someone he could speak to on this, and voiced his thoughts in a low whisper to him.  
  
"Yeah, its not like him to be ::that:: secluded," Shippo nodded in return. "But then again, I guess he's really stressed over-"  
  
"No I don't think he's stressed about his problem right now," the hanyou eyed him whispering back. "He's been acting moody ever since the rain started."  
  
The kitsune blinked and came up with the only possible explanation. "Oh.you mean he's afraid of water?"  
  
It was all Inuyasha could do from face-planting. He managing to shot the fox-child an 'I-cannot-believe-you-just-said-that' look, and was met by his decisive nod that that was the case.  
  
"Tell me something Shippo, do you try to act retarded or is this just a special occasion," he hissed at him receiving the nastiest glare that Shippo could muster, which succeeded in making him look cuter but not vicious.  
  
"I hate to say it," Inuyasha began in a low voice never taking his eyes off the monk. "He's starting to act like me. in a bad way."  
  
It felt like watching a mirror image of himself.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Miroku, oblivious to the watchful gazes of two particular demons, starred blankly at the drenched landscape blanketed in hazed gray.  
  
He felt confused at this abrupt animosity that seethed within him slowly, and he found it uncontrollably suffocating. He swore he heard himself growl silently once.  
  
'What's wrong with me? I've never felt this way before about something this trivial. It can't be ::just:: the weather.its almost as if.there's something ::about:: it that I dislike.'  
  
'Of course you twit! Can't you sense it out there?!'  
  
'Sense what?' He replied to his inner voice perplexed. He never did like his conscience, if he could call it that.  
  
'Its that demon. that same one that attacked you and gave you that wound.'  
  
'But it was destroyed! We watched it disappear, its gone-'  
  
'No, this is the kind of foe that doesn't die that easily. Because your still alive, it exists.' Now he was really confused.  
  
'But...how?'  
  
'Listen up, apparently you must've done something to it to piss it off royally, besides assist in its death, so it'll still hunt you down until your dead.'  
  
'But..why?'  
  
'I dunno.'  
  
He didn't understand. This demon wanted something more from him? But what? And why? Why him of all people, he wasn't the only one who had been there! Now he really felt like growling.  
  
'Your not making any sense! Why just me?! Why not Kagome or Inuyasha, or any of the others!'  
  
No answer.  
  
'Tell me why?!'  
  
'Because you we're the first one it wanted.'  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
The small group had been taken by sleep long ago; Kagome lying nearest to the fire, Shippo close at hand, and Sango dozed lightly by the caves rear wall. Inuyasha lay awake, leaning against the cold walls of the dwelling, continuing to watch his companion with growing concern.  
  
Miroku still hadn't moved from his seated postition, and he was wondering if he'd passed out. It toke him a while before he convinced himself to get up and check on him, and found that his presence made him feel rigid and uncomfortable.  
  
He stopped a few paces away, surprised that he still hadn't acknowledged him. Feeling the hairs on his neck bristle in warning, he knew now something definitely wasn't right.  
  
Jolting from his trance he reached a clawed hand out to his shoulder, letting it hover over the fabric before allowing his hand to fall the rest of the way.  
  
There was still no response and instantly his heart went to his throat. Had he died so already? No way not so soon. To be sure he padded quietly around to face him, keeping himself low so he would see his approach.  
  
Inuyasha froze as he felt his breath leave him. Miroku's expression was blank and pale, almost that of a lifeless corpse. His eyes had glazed giving the impression of a blind mans sightless gaze, and his body felt stiff and cool despite his robes.  
  
For the first time Inuyasha panicked. Was he really dead? Without thinking he grasped his shoulders firmly, and shook him crying his name softly.  
  
"Miroku?! Hey Miroku?!" 'No, he cant be. he just cant be!' His thoughts screamed over and over.  
  
Kaede said he didn't have much time, but they had only just begun their journey! He couldn't die now! He refused to believe it. Yet no matter how much he shook the monk, he only managed to receive his weight against him as he leaned into his arms unconscious.  
  
Inuyasha went pale.  
  
'Damnit! He's freezing!'  
  
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Akida- Ooo cliffhanger! I hope this chapter was a little more interesting than the last one. Hopefully this chapter hasn't confused anyone, and if it has please tell me so I can fix it. Now don't forget to review! Akida will be waaaaiting. 


	7. Waking the Dead

  
  
  
  


**Akida**-Kangei! Akida has returned to banish the evil cliffy I left you with in the previous chapter ::digs up mallet and mashes cliffhanger :: Seeeee, the cliffhanger is no more! Also notice that Miroku has acquired an inner voice, don't ask me why I gave him one, I guess the amount of caffeine I've had could be the cause of that. Nonetheless I've put in a few things to clear up some possible confusion in the future.

  
  


Miroku's own thoughts (and everyone elses) are shown in plain italics: _Like this_

Conversations with his inner voice are shown with italics and quotations: _ "Like this"_  


**-:-Disclaimer-:-** ...I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters.

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**My Dearest Miroku**

  


**By: Akida**

  


**Waking the dead**

  


  


He couldn't move. He was paralyzed, heavy, as if his body were made of lead. Miroku felt weighted yet at the same time as light as air.

  
  


It terrified him that he couldn't budge, but he found it relaxing, soothing, and he wanted nothing more to remain this way and forget...forget everything all together.

  
  


Forget pain. Forget loneliness. Forget his curse. Forget this tainted wound. Nothing mattered in this inky, quiet darkness, nothing caused him emotional or physical pain in unconsciousness.

  
  


He would remain here in his own private void, and he smiled weakly to himself as a calm took hold of whatever was left of his rational mind, and slipped into an all but welcome sleep.

  
  


He was about to succumb to his urges, when a faint voice caught his attention rousing him from the doze that might have been the end of him.

  
  


_ "Oi monk! Monk!! You listening to me?! Hey!"_

  


Extremely miffed at being summoned by his invisible speaker, he growled in protest but responded nonetheless.

  


_ "Leave me be..."_

  
  


The voice groaned._ "Oh hush, c'mon wake up you lazy bum!"_

  
  


_ "Get lost! I just want...to sleep now.."_

  
  


_ "Ah I get it, you really do want to die don't you?"_

  
  


Now he was awake. The words "die" weren't pleasant to here while your floating around in a pitch black space of nothing, so he decided maybe this time he wouldn't ignore the voice...well...maybe just this once.

  
  


_ Ok now I'm listening. "What do you mean 'die'?"_

  
  


_ "It means exactly what its implying......monk.....your floating around in an all to dark and quiet place, and you feel the sudden urge to sleep....what part of THAT did you miss as accepting death! In any case, you cant die just yet, the story has just begun! Besides, I think it might break that lovely exterminators heart if you died now, then again you grope her enough maybe she **wouldn't** mind your absence."_

  
  


_"What? Hey!"_

  


He didn't have time to yell at his inner voice for that last comment, for another voice caught his attention. It wasn't from within but seemed to come from farther away, and it forced his mind into a painful awakening.

  
  


The first change he observed was the weightless sensation of his body recede, and become heavier as feeling circulated to his limbs, though they felt cold and sore. Sounds began to invade his senses first as a muffled thrum, then became more distinct and he soon recognized it to be the sound of rain beating down on earth and rock.

  
  


He opened his eyes and found he still couldn't see anything. He panicked suddenly wondering if he'd gone blind, but blinked a few more times as his vision returned. The first two things that came to mind after that were; 

1.

_ What the heck happened to me? How did I end up like that_.. 

2.

_ There's something warm....and red near me....and its very, **very** close..._

  
  


The latter thought disturbed him, and he couldn't help the knot that twisted its way into his chest.

  
  
__

Had whatever it was that I had sensed out in the rain, have finally made off with me? Where are the other? And what's with all this red fuzz? Whatever it is...its awfully warm but...why the heck does it look like Inuyasha's-....wait a minute...

  
  


Indeed it was the white haired hanyou that was emanating the warmth. Miroku found himself in the grasp of the demons arms, the crimson hue of his coat filled his line of vision, and a thick lock of snowy white hair brushed against his cold face. His mind toke a considerable amount of time to process what was going on, and when it finished its analysis hit him like a ton of bricks.

  
  


Inuyasha looked like he was grieving.

  
  


But why would he grieve for me? All he did was slip out of consciousness, perhaps to fall asleep. He hadn't died...right? So why, all of a sudden, was Inuyasha holding him and trembling like he was. Had he really...? Confused to no extent he placed a paled hand on his chest to pull away from him, and tried to say something but it came out as a strangled groan.

  
  


That seemed to be all he needed to get his attention, for soon he was staring groggily into two amber orbs.

  
  


  
--------------------------------------------------------   


  
  


Inuyasha felt completely helpless when he could do nothing to awaken the monk, not convinced with his inward lie of 'he's just asleep'. He was hesitant to see if he was still breathing, and once he convinced himself to confirm it, he had unfortunately found that he wasn't. Before he realized what his limbs were doing, he had drawn the body of his friend against him in a loose embrace, not liking the way Miroku reminded him of a worn out rag doll.

  
  


It just didn't seem real to him. He was expecting him to wake up from sleep and give him a groggy smirk, but it never came. As the hours slowly wore on, and his comrades still form refused to display movement, he realized the cruel truth behind reality. Miroku was gone.

  
  


Minutes themselves felt like years, and still Inuyasha hugged the body as if it were going to dissolve if he let go. What would he tell the three remaining members of the group? He had to...somehow, and was about to delve into ways of breaking it to them while keeping a straight face, when something groaned into his arm.

  
  


At first he thought he was hearing things, but a slight pressure against his chest told him otherwise. He looked down slowly half expecting to see a zombie, or other manner of undead creature taking the place of his friends body, and was relieved to find it was not so. Although he was still stunned by what he saw, and he stared into the monks sickly face with wide eyes, and found that the power of speech had left him.

  
  


He was alive but it seemed surreal, no it **was** surreal. His sensitive hearing picked up a faint pulse where before there was none, along with short labored breaths.

  
  


_ Ok...this is just creepy...a minute ago he was edging his way to Rigor Mortis,_ (A/N: I'm supposing he knows what it is.)_ and now he's..._

  
  


"M-Miroku?", he said warily hoping he hadn't gone insane and imagined the whole thing.

  
  


"Inu...ya-yasha," Miroku replied in pained gasps.

  
  


He brought his face a mite closer to his, still not believing exactly what was going on, and noted the confusion in the monks eyes as well. He was just going to ask him about the odd situation, when a loud sneeze broke the air. Both Inuyasha and Miroku turned abruptly to face the back of the cave to see...

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Shippo perched on Kagome's shoulders rubbing his nose, and Kagome clutching onto Sango's. All eyes were focused intently on the two.

  
  


"Oh Shippo-chan," Kagome pouted slightly. "You ruined the moment."

  
  


"Gomen I couldn't hold it in," he replied grinning impishly. "But please don't let **us** stop you from whatever it was you two were **attempting** to do." 

  
  


I didn't take very long to figure out what the fox child was implying, and when it did Inuyasha turned an interesting shade of scarlet at the thought.

  
  


"Wha-shut up you little twit! I-Its not like that," he growled defensively.

  
  


"My Inuyasha there's no need to get so worked up over it," Sango added with a mischievous smile. "You don't have to hide things from us were all friends here....at least I thought we were all just friends."

  
  


The look on the hanyou's face was priceless, a mixture of emotions that left him with a dazed unintelligent appearance. Miroku, on the other hand, was just understanding the meaning behind their pun, and grinned shyly at the dog-demon.

  
  


"Inuyasha I'm flattered, I had no idea you cared for me in such a way. But alas I **am** a monk you know it just wouldn't be right," he sighed donning an expression of 'holy-innocence' (which isn't very convincing coming from him).

  
  


In the space of a moment, the dog-boy had traveled as far away from Miroku as possible, and was giving him a horrified look as he mashed himself against the caves rock wall.

  
  


"Ugh!! That's _filthy_! Leave me outta your sick thoughts you perv!"

  
  


"Oh come now Inuyasha, why so shy all of a sudden?" Miroku added giving him a tantalizing smirk.

  
  


"Your filthy, all of you...." He sneered then sank against the wall near the entrance of their shelter, and grumbled something inaudible about nauseating people.

  
  


Deciding that a cranky demon wasn't pleasant to be around, Miroku ceased his teasing and made to stand up. He was surprised at the painful shock that ran through his legs when he tried to move them, but didn't bring it to anyone's attention as they found their resting places. Besides he didn't want to ruin the light-hearted mood that lingered, and watched the two woman converse softly as they made themselves comfortable again.

  
  


It was moments like these that he longed for, and they were becoming increasingly sparse as their journey wore on.

-------------------------------

He couldn't sleep. Then again not many can sleep sitting up other than a certain hanyou, but he found it uncomfortable that even now his legs remained unmovable. He shivered suddenly and wrapped his arms in the thick folds of his robes, and looked out into the night.

  
  


It had stopped raining at last, funny how he hadn't noticed, yet that eerie nagging presence was still out there, waiting, watching. Enemies he couldn't see frightened him, and even more so now that he was weakened considerably, and that this enemy sought his death with a passion.

  
  


He glanced across from him expecting to see the other side of the rock wall, but instead saw two demonic eyes gazing back at him with hawk-like vigil. He gasped softly reaching for his staff, but froze when the heard faint laughter and relaxed somewhat.

  
  


"Geez monk, don't have a heart attack." Inuyasha snickered his grin evident in the tone of his voice.

  
  


"Well it isn't exactly normal to have a companion who's eyes glow in the dark," he shot back leaning against the protruding rock. "Then again I should be used to seeing abnormal things whilst traveling with this group."

  
  


Silence hung for a while as they pondered those last words, and Inuyasha was first to speak.

  
  


"You've been awfully edgy lately," he said poking at the subject carefully which received a 'Hmm...' as his only reply. He prodded deeper.

  
  


"You haven't been yourself at all...something's on your mind, and I know it's more than just that wound of yours..." Miroku looked to him slowly. He was still shivering visibly, but it didn't feel that cold to him now that he thought about it. He was becoming disturbingly distant, even now he seemed to be focused on something else and looked directly through him. It aggravated Inuyasha to no end, but he knew forcing him would only make him more of a taciturn, and bent all his will power on being patient.

  
  


Miroku didn't fidget or make any reaction, and it brought him to question if he was even listening.

  
  


After a tense few moments, and after Inuyasha was considering whether or not he would walk over and shake him, Miroku turned away from him and stared outside.

  
  


"I'm....I'm not sure what's on my mind. Things just don't make sense anymore," he replied faintly.

  
  


Inuyasha could make nothing out of his answer, and noted that he might not get a better response. He leaned back further into the cold jagged stone surface, and kept an eye on his comrade as he seemed to space out again.

  
  


_ Something's not right with him, but I don't see why he just doesn't say what's bothering him. Its not like him to clam up like this._

  
  


With that thought out of his head, he was about to comply with the craving to explore the inside of his eyelids, when a faint voice interrupted his attempt.

  
  


"Inuyasha...may I ask you something."

  
  


"What," he replied trying to keep the annoyed edge out of his voice.

  
  


"Did I....did I really.....leave this realm."

  
  


"You could say that," the demon replied thoughtfully.

  
  


"I see," he said letting an uncomfortable amount of time pass before he continued. "Tell me....how long was I, away."

  
  


"Long enough to freak me out."

  
  


Inuyasha raised an eyebrow. In the expanse of time from when Miroku had awoken to this present frame, he hadn't remembered telling him that he had died. Yet, here he was asking him as if he already knew what had happened. Was it possible that he just _knew_ he was dead and accepted it? And if so, why had he come back if he had accepted his fate.

  
  


There were just too many jumbled questions he wanted explained, and things he couldn't understand disturbed him. He made up his mind that the only real person with possible answers was this Healer they were to meet, and even then things may still be in a clouded mess. As he finished rubbing at the scabbard of the Tetsusaiga in contemplation, Miroku's voice broke his train of thought.

  
  


"Inuyasha...could you-" he began as he tried to raise himself from the icy floor, his legs still refusing to make things easier for him. The hanyou sighed shaking his head, and strode over to him.

  
  


Grabbing his right arm and draping it across his shoulders, he lifted Miroku to his feet and allowed him to lean on on him. He felt like a feather. He laid him down on a gap between Sango and Kagome, letting a roguish grin creep on his face as he pictured the reactions of the two women when they woke up the following morning. Pulling away he found he had already gone to sleep, and he watched his friend for a while.

  
  


Although his body was still, the steady rise and fall of his chest was assurance enough that he wouldn't be going anywhere....at least not for now. Satisfied, he walked over to his previous seated position on the far wall, and sank slowly down to the earth.

  
  


There was still a long way to go and already, things were difficult. Shaking the turmoil away from his mind, he closed his eyes and accepted the beckoning requests of sleep.

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**Akida**- ::phew:: My brain was really fried on this chapter (please no more writers block), but I'm sorry I wish I could've made it more interesting than this. Egh, need mooore caffeine...

Reviews:

Kaylana: No, I would never stop there. Miroku is one of my favorite character, so you don't have to worry about him suddenly being deceased.....of course you never know, my fingers seem to have a mind of their own sometimes. ^.^

Kitai Matsuru: Yep, cliffhangers are evil but that's what makes a story such a good one!

These seem to be my two die hard reviewers O.o; they've been with me since the beginning. ::hands out cookies to them::, now I feel loved. More reviews, equals more chapters! Do the math and push the button!


	8. To Be'

  
  
  
  


**Akida**- I've returned FINALLY to give you more of this saga! After surviving writers "mountainous" block, I have returned so you will wait no longer! Here it is the 8th installment of this semi-evilly dark story, and I cant believe I've gotten this far and the plot is still moving at a snails pace! We shall try to speed things up and make things happen. Read on citizens, read on!

  


Oh and a word about the previous chapter, when I say its a Sango/ Miroku fic it WILL STAY a Sango/Miroku fic. If I suddenly decide to declare it a Inuyasha/Miroku fic, or a Sessho/Kagome fic, or a Sango/Kagome fic, or a Rin/Inuyasha fic, or a Naruku/Sessho fic.....( ehhh that's just creepy . ), or any other pairing you can think of I will give you a **--Warning--** so don't have a cow or a hippo about it! I'll warn you well in advance of any changes that I'll make to spare you of something that you would rather not expose yourself to at the moment. So that's it I have spoken!....or rather I have typed....

  


**-:-Disclaimer-:-** ...I do not own Inuyasha or any of Rumiko-sama's characters........but I do have plans to abduct Miroku and hold him for ransom.

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**My Dearest Miroku**

  


**By: Akida**

  


**'To Be'**

  


  


Kagome cracked an eye open as a ray of the early morning sunlight berated her to wakefulness, and she yawned and stretched rolling over on her side and draped her arm over something soft.

  


Rubbing the sleep from her eyes with her free hand, she stared into the face of the one persons she would never want to wake up sleeping next; Miroku. She was about to raise hell and beat him senseless for having the nerve to slip in next to her, when she noticed his facial expression and worry replaced her annoyance.

  


He looked pained. Almost the same expression one would give if a large hole had been slowly and agonizingly bored into your chest.

  


She raised a delicate hand to his ashen face and stroked back a few raven strands from his forehead, and traced his jaw line which felt fragile and sensitive. He groaned twisting around uncomfortably until his body liked the new position it was in, and slipped into another interval of slumber.

  


Placing a hand over the travel worn robe on his body she kneaded a crease thoughtfully, contemplating the odd change in his behavior. She feeling that he was distancing himself from them as their journey wore on, and the slow moody demeanor he was acquiring was starting to match that of Inuyasha's.

  


Sighing she gazed into his face, the usual peacefulness that adorned it so often had now been replaced by a drained frailness, which etched its way progressively into his face. Yet for some reason this new frailness had somehow drawn him to her, and she leaned toward him thoughtfully trying to figure out where that feeling had come from.

  


"Geez Kagome why don't you just kiss him for crying' out loud," a gruff voice sounded from above.

  


Standing over her like a towering beacon the dog demon looked down at her with a mischievous grin, raising an eyebrow at her baffled expression.

  


"Oh please don't let me interrupt besides were all friends here right....at least I thought we were all just _friends,_" he said repeating the very words spoken the night before.

  


"Oh g-gimme a break Inuyasha its not like I was going to....believe me I wasn't going to do anything," she said rising and straightening out her clothing her face emanating a deep red glow.

  


"Tch that doesn't sound very convincing when you say it with your face all red like that," he replied teasingly and received a glare at his retreating form as he went to rouse Shippo, Miroku and Sango.

  


Shippo protested to an extent to where waking Sango was not needed anymore, but the racket did nothing to awaken the death like monk still slumbering oblivious to the world around him. Rolling his eyes and slumping his shoulders Inuyasha dragged himself over to the prone body, letting a "why me" escape with an inaudible grumble. He began poking him lightly on the shoulder and when that failed he began jabbing his ribs, which still received no response he escalated it to jolted shaking.

  


After an excessive amount of shaking the monk which could have been mistaken for a cadaver, finally cracked a red tinged eye towards the looming mass of crimson and white, managing to pick out two half lidded amber orbs.

  


"You know the least you could do was make waking your dead body a little easier," he said sarcastically to the semi-conscious monk.

  


"Ah Inuyasha of all people to wake me on this fine morning, you having second thoughts about last night?" He replied with equal sarcasm and an impish grin, trying intently to mask the oncoming wave of fatigue.

  


Inuyasha grimaced in disgust.

  


"If you weren't half dead already I'd kill you for that right about now, but I think I'll let whatever that poison is get you instead," he spat the words out and rose swiftly dragging the monk up with him. This didn't go well with him and Miroku staggered hazily about, as the rock walls around him spun with the sudden unwelcome movement.

  


He had thought that rest was all that his aching body needed, but it seemed to him that the night passed too quickly for any kind of recovery. Surveying the area around him with a detached appearance, he found that he no longer lay at the caves entrance, and had been relocated to a space between Kagome's empty sleeping bag and Sango's unmistakable weapon lying nearby.

  


_ I don't believe it. I spent the entire night lying between those two, and they didn't even kill me for it! Maybe this whole get-attacked-and-poisoned thing isn't so bad after all._

  


_ "Don't press your luck there monk, I wouldn't make this a habit if I were you."_

  


Miroku groaned. The irritating voice had returned.

  


_ "Oh go away, the last thing I need right now is **you** invading my thoughts."_

  


_ "Well excuse me its not like I actually **want** to know what's going on in your head....half the stuff in here is plain creepy, I haven't seen one clean thought yet! Mostly its vivid images of women ha--"_

  


_ "Shut up already!! If you don't like it fine that isn't my problem, but keep your comments to yourself! I don't need someone describing what I think about!!"_

  


_ "...........Ok fair enough............ but I still think you need your head checked--"_

  


_ "AUGH!!"_

  


"Um Miroku?" Interrupted a shaky voice.

  


He jerked his head towards the direction he heard his name last, and found his four companions sitting in a tight circle half-way through their rationed meal. All of which were giving him looks of unease. Although he had yelled at The Voice inside, it appeared he had let it slip through his lips on the outside as well. 'Crap now I look insane' were the first few thoughts that came to mind.

  


"Hellooooo Mirokuuuu! Anybody home!!" Shippo said waving his small paws in the air.

  


"Eh?.....Oh forgive me, it seems these headaches are becoming too frequent and....err....painful," he lied trying his best to feign light-headedness.

  


Fortunately for him, Kagome wasn't the brightest crayon in the box when it came to distinguishing between a sickly monk, and a monk who yells at voices in his head. But hey can you blame her?

  


"Oh Miroku," she began empathy dripping in her voice. "You should've said something instead of suffering like that. I know I have some pain pills let me find them for you," she got up quickly and began a thorough dig through the Black Hole that was her bag.

  


Miroku let out an inward sigh of relief, glad to know that at least Kagome hadn't figured anything from that outburst......but the remaining members regarded him with scrutinizing glances. After almost an eternity of their staring he felt like a bug under the eye of a child, that was far too curious for their own good. It was agitating.

  


"W-what? What is it?....Quit starring at me like that!!"

  


Without so much as a word to him, all three stood from their positions around the dying flame, and went about the task of gathering things together for another journey in the usual loud manner. Miroku was dumbfounded by the lack of response.

  


_ What the?......_

  


"Here Miroku," a pleasant female voice dragged him from his musings into the present. Kagome held a small wooden bowl of rice in one hand, and two Aspirin in the other. "You should get some food in your system before you take these, and remember to swallow them not chew them." She added handing them to him and touched his shoulder gently before assembling her belongings together as well.

  


After staring at the two tiny foreign objects he had been left with in his hand, he leaned against a high protruding rock and ate his meager portion in confused thought. He had a feeling that Sango, Shippo and Inuyasha weren't fooled by his excuse, but it wasn't like he was going to explain to them that a voice in his head was aggravating him to no end. No, that wouldn't be wise and if they didn't know there was something more to his state of mind, then they sure as hell did know now.

  


Upon finishing the rice and taking the "pills" he sought out his staff, and brought up the rear of the group as they exited their shelter.

  


The air was still bathed with the scent of rain from the previous nights storm, but the sky remained overcast much to Miroku's delight. At least this way he could evade the penetrating heat of the sun's red eye, but the cold was a different matter all together. Ah well you can't have it all your way. With that thought he trailed behind his companions hoping that their destination wasn't far off, for he felt the eyes of his unseen enemy watching him with a nauseating vigil. It was out there somewhere, lurking in the shadows, and all he wanted to do now was be as far away from it as possible.

  
* * *  


Miroku's body wasn't doing well again. Each step felt like walking through a bog waist high, and the ache in his legs had crept its way throughout his body. Fortunately, whatever it was that Kagome had given him had kept his headaches at bay, but now everything just felt fuzzy.

  


He had been trying to distract himself from the soreness by straining his focus on the conversations around him, but that worked for maybe fifteen minutes then it was back to trudging through the bog.

  


The one thing that discouraged him from crying out "the hell with it", and collapsing on the road was the thing that followed him. If he could he would've been way out front past Inuyasha, regardless of his protests, but for the life of him he didn't have the strength to speed up his pace.

  


He could feel the maddened, malevolent aura that pricked at his senses and kept him on edge. Miroku had a feeling the others couldn't sense it, not even the demons of the group, and it was meant for him to feel alone. It was meant to torment him, and whispered promises of homicidal acts upon his life. He gripped his robe tighter around him as he felt numbness begin to seep into his limbs, and tried in vain to block out the horrific images that came to mind.

  


Looking up momentarily he found that he was further behind then he thought, and could scarcely glimpse the retreating forms of his comrades through the fuzziness that clouded his vision. He slowed to a halt which his legs gratefully accepted and nearly gave out from under him. Squinting through the drowsy haze that enveloped him, he could just make out the recognizable shapes.

  


_ Wha-?.....How did they get so far ahead? I can barely see them now, surely they should have noticed by now that I'm not behind them any--._

  


"What are you doing!? Get out of here, don't make yourself a target for it!! Run!!"

  


Miroku wobbled slightly, as The Voice scattered the haze within him and forced itself into his thoughts once again.

  


_ "What?....Run......but why?"_

  


_ "You must run Miroku! You can't let it catch hold of you!"_

  


_ "What will?"_

  


_ "**I said run you fool!! It's almost upon you!!**"_

  


The urgency in which The Voice spoke told him this was nothing to be asking questions over, for whatever had caused its fear could now be felt by him. Dragging his body forward he stumbled forward feeling a heavy presence lurching at his heels, and the tangle of emotions that came with the knowledge that ones demise was close at hand wedged its way into his weakened body.

  


The unmistakably nauseating aura of the Hateful One clawed at him, and he ignored the burning in his chest as his breathing came in ragged gasps. The desire to turn and face his opponent was outweighed by the fear of his foe's appearance and the desire to run like a frightened rabbit.

  


It felt like a nightmare. The nightmare where no matter how fast you run, your enemy is always faster, and the horrible feeling of deaths clammy fingers upon you is erased when you awaken. This time around it was no nightmare, and Miroku found the same feeling of helplessness was about to play itself out in reality. He cried out his companions names over and over, but it only came out as a hoarse whine of one beyond his wits end.

  


If matters couldn't get any worse, his body took the most inconvenient of times to numb up and cease functioning all together. Time stood still for him as the earth rose up slowly to meet him, and frustration and despair lodged itself in his throat as his limbs refused to obey his minds will to escape.

  


_ N-no....I have to...move_

  


His mind was willing to press on, yet his body had no will to do so. The muscles of his legs were stretched to their limits and would not comply to support his weight again. The arms refused to drag him out of harms reach, away from the heavy looming presence that descended on him then.

  


It wasn't fair. He had heard once that in a time of need, one can exceed their limitations and perform extraordinary tasks. That couldn't be true for all this weakened, tired body of his wanted to do was accept death and fade away. It just didn't seem fair to him, how such a lie would give him false hope.

  


_ Don't.....want to die...._

  


Heavy mist entangled his limp form and the horrid feeling of suffocation before departure from this realm, played itself out as Miroku struggled in vain as breathing became more and more of a burden. His vision blurred as heated water spilled down his ashen face to dissolve in the earth below, and he dug his fingers into the beaten earth cursing whatever force was punishing him with this torture.

  


_ Its not........its not fair....._

  
*----------------------------------------*   


"_**What!! How can you not notice he wasn't behind us!!?**_"

  


"Well your the one who's always in the back with him, how come **you** didn't notice he wasn't there!!?"

  


"Inuyasha! Sango! Quite it already! We all didn't notice alright! Leave this until **after** we've found him again!"

  


Kagome's only reply were two angry mumbles from the exterminator and demon, and clutched Inuyasha's back tightly as he rose from the ground again into the air. She never thought, in all their travels, that she'd have to break up a fight between Sango and Inuyasha.

  


She understood an argument between Shippo or herself, but Sango just didn't fit the verbally aggressive type. She frowned slightly and hoped prayed that Miroku wasn't harmed in any way, or she could guess that Sango would raise hell again.

  


Before she could lodge the odd situation into further thought, another presence made itself known among her senses.

  


_ A demons aura, and its growing closer! Oh please...please be alright Miroku._

  


Praying for Miroku's safety she gripped her bow tensely, and kept her eyes pealed for their foe wherever it may be hiding.

  
*----------------------------------------*   


Sango was furious. How could Inuyasha be so oblivious as to not notice an allies disappearance? She let her anger boil up inside her and tightened her grip on her Boomerang, trying her best to focus on the matter at hand.

  


Although her irritation was fueled by Inuyasha, the emotions of worry and distress far outweighed it. He may be a lecherous creep, but she could never bring herself to actually wish for his death, no matter how many times she threatened him with it to keep him in line. No matter how you looked at it, he was there for the same reason that she and everyone else was there for; Naraku had twisted some sick scheme into their lives.

  


"There's something very large up ahead!" Kagome cried as her voice scattered Sango's thoughts.

  


"Does it have a Jewel Shard?" Was the impeccable timing of Inuyasha's one-track-minded question.

  


"How can you even ask something like that! Miroku's life is in danger and your worried about the Jewel Shard?!" Shippo barked from his perch on Kagome's shoulder.

  


"Oh come on already were not starting up another argument!" Kagome cut in and wobbled as the dog demon made another graceful bound over the earth. "No, it doesn't have a Jewel Shard....but...I can't really tell exactly where it is..."

  


"What the- Whaddya mean you can't tell where it is. It must be in front of us obviously," Inuyasha replied.

  


"No it's not...its." Trailing off she closed her eyes focusing the miko strength she was blessed with, swallowing hard when her sight combed out the presence. "Its.....its everywhere."

  


In the instant those words were released from her lips, all motion ceased and all were still. Unfortunately, Kagome's findings, without a doubt, had been confirmed as the thick dark haze could be seen wreathing around them. Forming a tight circle with weapons facing the fogged mist, Sango strained her vision to see out past the inky blackness. The heavy silence and chilled winds that swept along the ground, had the name "Naraku" written all over it, yet somehow this didn't quite fit.

  


_ Naraku definitely has a thing for mind games and this seems like something he'd conjure up but....._

  


"I get the feeling this isn't one of Naraku's works," Inuyasha whispered voicing the remainder of Sango's thoughts. "There's something different about this situation."

  


"Your right, something should've happened by now," Kagome mumbled agitation pricking her voice. A long moment of silence hung in the air, and the weight of it crushed down on the group in a suffocating pressure. The constant stillness without movement and the eerie hush unbroken by sound, clawed slowly at the patience and even-tempered Sango.

  


"I can't take much more of this," she grimaced through clenched teeth. "I swear if something doesn't happen soon I'm going to--Ah!"

  
*----------------------------------------*   


Inuyasha could smell it before the others could see what approached through the blanketed haze, and his body stiffened tensely at the nauseating scent that attacked his nose. Taking a step forward, he gripped Tetsusaiga but kept his focus on the spot where a figure began to take shape, and let a low growl rise from his chest as it became more distinct.

  


He frowned. There was something about the shape of that thing that seemed unlike any demon, yet whatever it was that god-awful aroma emanated from it. Moving closer it took on a more human shape, and upon reaching the cleared area that surrounded the group, Inuyasha felt his eyes had deceived him.

  


Miroku stood before them, not as monk they all knew so well, but as something else, something different. He still looked the same, the same ashen skin and fatigued build, but his expression was a different matter. His eyes held a threatening and inviting gaze, one that could bring you shaking to your knees and let you linger in mystery behind their true meaning. Either way you look at it, these eyes did not belong to Miroku.

  


He let his scrutinizing gaze roam over each member the group, until finally he rested his attention on Inuyasha. The dog demon flinched slightly. He could feel the monk looking through his body, past the flesh and bone and into his soul, breaking down everything that made him tick. The cold shiver that ran up his spine brought him back to reality, and forced the idea form his mind that Miroku may have been picking him apart from the inside out. That was foolish, he couldn't do that.....right?

  


Blinking once for the first time he had been there, he looked about as if seeing his smoggy surroundings for the first time with an impassive air. Closing his eyes he inhaled deeply and with the release of breath, came a soft mist lighter in hue to the inky dark smoke surrounding them. Mildly smoothing a wisp of raven hair from his face and dragging his fingers along his neck to rest on a shoulder, he tilted his head with its same detached expression and spoke as loudly as water flows in a forest stream.

  


"So, this is what it means 'to be'. "

  


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**Akida**- Wow, now wasn't that a bizarre ending? I have no idea where that came from, I swear it was completely spontaneous, I think my fingers wrote it while my mind was off in La-la land or something. Anyways...yes I have FINALLY UPDATED, and I do hope most of you are still with me. Ever since school started I can't write as much as I want to, and I regret that updates will be a little spaced....hopefully not as spaced as this chapter was. ::bows:: But I must thank you the reviewers for sticking with this Akida, and waiting till Dooms day for me to update.

  


Thank you for reviewing, and I hope you'll stick with me longer!:

  
  
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Once again I thank you for putting in a line or two on this story, and if you don't see yourself above this time...well there's always the next chapter!!

  


So now that that's over and done with, how about some reviews? 


	9. The Great Healer Sai

  
  
  
  


**Akida**- I have returned to continue on with this, semi-evilly dark saga that I am.....trying....to....make....less.....evil.....and......dark.......Really, not one good thing has happened to Miroku so far, isn't that sad? ::is suddenly throttled by an angry monk::

  
  


Miroku: Yes that is sad!! Why hasn't anything uplifting happened to me yet huh?! I haven't seen one "Oh Miroku your going to live," or a "Miroku I really do want to bear your child!" Do you have some sick desire to put me through mental and physical pain, is that what it is?!

  
  


**Akida-** Well....we wouldn't have a great story if I _didn't_ torment you.....::receives glare of death::...eh....ookay....author has said too much. I think I'll start the next chapter before I get mauled.....::runs for cover::

  


**-:-Disclaimer-:-** Well my plan to abduct Miroku hasn't worked well, so Inuyasha and its characters rightfully belong to Rumiko-sama.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

  


**My Dearest Miroku**

  


**By: Akida**

  


**The Great Healer Sai**

  
  
  


Blinking once for the first time he had been there, he looked about as if seeing his smoggy surroundings for the first time with an impassive air. Closing his eyes he inhaled deeply and with the release of breath, came a soft mist lighter in hue to the inky dark smoke surrounding them. Mildly smoothing a wisp of raven hair from his face and dragging his fingers along his neck to rest on a shoulder, he tilted his head with its same detached expression and spoke as loudly as water flows in a forest stream.

  


"So, this is what it means 'to be'."

  


--------------------

  


Inuyasha felt his head spin. The person before him looked like Miroku in every aspect imaginable, but the voice...it was his, yet it sounded as if another voice in the background was speaking along with him. In short, it sounded as if two people were speaking through him at the same time; Miroku's voice and another voice both beautiful and feral.

  


There was something obviously eerie about the whole situation, and his instincts were telling him that this _person_ needed to be removed before things got ugly. But could he really bring himself to fight against one of his comrades? It was possible that this could be another of Naraku's fabrications, or somehow the monk had been possessed, but could he really do anything to harm this look alike?

  


He narrowed his eyes and kept vigil on him, as their possible threat took a few steps forward surveying his surroundings. A knot formed in his stomach as the tension grew, and the calmed, detached air of the monk was grating at his patience. And with his last strand of patience he gripped Tetsusaiga's handle, stepped forward and barked out menacingly to the figure with his companions form.

  


"Who are you?! Tell me _now_!"

  


Miroku gradually turned to face him. Inuyasha stared deep into his eyes, the deep hazel eyes that threatened to probe into his soul. Threatened to flood his mind with a flurry of emotions that he would rather keep buried under mountains of stone. He could scarcely hear him reply as light-headedness clouded his senses.

  


"Who am I?.......how odd you should ask.......I don't know who I am anymore.......no identity.....no purpose......I just exist, if this is what it means 'to be'."

  


"Wha-?"

  


The dog demon was now thoroughly confused.   


--------------------

  


Kagome could only stare at the man before her. As with Inuyasha's sentiments she couldn't help but feel this wasn't the same lecherous monk they knew, and if this did escalate into a battle it would be difficult to convince herself that this wasn't Miroku. She felt the thick miasma weaken considerably and snatches of the lush greenery of the outside world, could be glimpsed between small gaps in the mist.

  


The look-like turned his head slightly at the change in the haze, never breaking gazes with the confused hanyou, and sighed thoughtfully.

  


"It seems that my time has not yet come.....but I can be patient.......yes, my patience will reward me with what I desire," he said, a grin hovering over his lips as he watched the agitated faces of the group. "Until we meet again, I bide you farewell."

  


And with that a thick smoke enveloped his body, and soon hide the grin that still lay on his face. The miasma surrounding them also dissipated to be swept off into the wind, and the nauseating aura went with it.

  


Looking around her, Kagome found that they were back on the beaten path they had been traveling. Everything around them appeared untouched by the presence of the miasma, and the forest life went about its usual buzz as if the miasma had never descended.

  


"Wha-? How did?"

  


Glancing around her she saw a dark figure sprawled on the dusty path ahead, which lay where their enemy had stood only moments ago. As she approached it cautiously a knot formed in her throat as she drew closer to the body on the ground, that was adorned with the all too familiar black and purple robe. 

  


"Miroku!" She cried dashing forward and fell at his side, inspecting his unconscious pale face wondering if he had, in fact, been possessed. The quickened foot falls of her companions drew near, and soon they were at her side in attentive silence.

  


Sango took her left side closest to Miroku's head and shook him gently, worry beginning to etch into her features as he refused to show signs of wakefulness. She turned to Kagome with a pleading expression, but Kagome, in turn, could only look to Inuyasha who loomed over them both. Rolling his eyes he knelt down next to them and inspected the fallen monk.

  


"Relax already," he said at last. "He's just unconscious."

  


"But even so," Sango replied in a shaky voice. "How did.....how did this happen? What happened to him-?"

  


She reached over and pulled Miroku's head and shoulders to rest against her arms, and stared at the forest around them as if searching for some hidden answer to her questions. Kagome frowned assessing the situation; She knew that there was indeed something after his life, but now she felt that there must be more to it than that, there always was. Thinking back to their battle with the loathsome demon, she couldn't understand why it was targeting Miroku, despite the fact that all of them had fought and slain it.

  


Shaking off her thoughts she sighed deeply and looking to Inuyasha again, seeing the words he was to speak form behind his eyes as he turned towards her with an unreadable expression.

  


"We can't worry about this now, we'll have to bring it up later. Right now we need to get Miroku to that Healer what's-his-name, and find a way to nullify the poison--"

  


_ That's right!_ Kagome gasped. _He still has the demons poison running through his body, with all the moving around he's done his condition could have gotten worse!"_

  


"--In any case we need to get there as soon as possible, the last thing I want is for him dying on us before we kill Naraku. He'd probably come back to haunt us," he muttered rubbing at his ear.

  


"So how far away is this village?" Shippo chimed in emerging from an unknown hiding spot, and perched on Inuyasha's shoulder.

  


"Well, Kaede said it was in the mountains not too far away." Kagome answered standing up to dust herself off.

  


"Huh, well we shouldn't be too far away then the mountains are just over in that direction. " He said motioning towards the craggy green peeks to the north.

  


Nodding slightly Kagome turned to Sango, still crouched on the ground with Miroku, and placed a hand on her shoulder. Looking into her face as she turned, she felt a pang of empathy for her friends forlorn expression, and squeezed a smile on her features trying to enliven her downcast companion.

  


"Don't worry Sango, everything will be alright as soon as we get to Shizen. If that healer really is as good as he's cut out to be, then I'm he'll definitely find some way to change Miroku's fate." She said, courage in her voice, and felt less agitated as she returned a smile.

  


"Thank you Kagome I'm fine now, I'm just more concerned about the strange encounter we had. It was a little......unsettling."

  


Kagome watched Inuyasha circle around them, and hoist Miroku's 'rag doll' body onto his back as if he weighed no more than a feather. He was obviously surprised by his light load, and gave Kagome a side long glance or concern. She, Sango and Shippo piled onto the now transformed Kirara, and followed after Inuyasha's speedy pace.

  


_ Inuyasha....he knows were stretched on time, but how much time do we have left? I know I said those things to cheer Sango up but.... but can we even do anything to help him?...Ack! No no no! Bad Kagome! Don't think like that, we can save him from this I just know we can._

  


--------------------

  


Inuyasha was fairly used to lugging around extra weight. He'd had to because of the lagging snails pace the humans traveled at what they considered running. Heh, he could walk faster than that. Thus, due to his demonic speed and strength, he usually ended up the one everyone piled onto. Although, he wouldn't have minded this routine if he could actually _feel_ the load he was carrying.

  


He had borne Kagome countless times throughout their quest, and paid no heed to her burden. However, Miroku was a different case. He felt even lighter than Kagome, too much lighter, and he wondered if the lose of one's weight was another side effect of the poison.

  


_ Ah damn it, I can barely tell I'm carrying him. And he's so hot!_ (::No you kinky people! Not like _that_ hot!::)_ He must have a fever or something, and if that's the case then we're more pressed on time than I had originally thought! Crap, don't you die on me monk!!_

  


Picking up the break neck pace he had already set, he strained his senses towards the ever looming mountain region that seemed to expand by the minute as they drew nearer. He searched over the rugged gray boulders, searching for anything that even remotely resembled a civilization planted within the craggy peaks. Inuyasha tore through the first ravine he could lay eyes on, the rough stony walls rising up around them, engulfing the company in a grey inanimate grasp. He suddenly felt a pang of claustrophobia as his eyes roved over the narrow passage, and odd sensation that he was being watched by eyes in some invisible crevice.

  


The passage stretched for what could have been an eternity, and the eerie silence was overpowering. Not a thing could be heard besides the heavy footfalls of the dog demon, and the equally heavy steps of Kirara as she carried her load. Nothing breathed in this place, nothing moved save themselves, and no one uttered a sound....not even a whisper.

  


_ Why is it so friggin quiet? This place is giving me the creeps-._

  


A large flurry of movement just ahead of them interrupted his uneasy contemplations and he cursed mentally. With a fever stricken Miroku hanging limply from his back, he couldn't reach for his sword lest he drop him, and the last thing he needed was some demon attacking them now.

  


Grumbling irritably about something concerning 'pain in the ass battle clichés', he scuffled to an ungraceful halt and observed the spot where he had seen the figure ahead. Vaguely sensing his companions stop behind him and make their way towards him, he kept his concentration on that one spot as if it would vanish if he didn't.

  


"Inuyasha..?" Kagome whispered.

  


"Something just ran by ahead of us a few seconds ago," he replied slowly narrowing an eye. "It didn't have a demon's scent but either way, we cant afford to have anything slowing us down."

As he said this he carefully dislodged the monk, draping his arm over his shoulder to support his frame, and turned to Kagome with an expression that read 'No arguments this time'.

  


"Kagome, watch him for me while I go on ahead and find out who our uninvited guest is. This may be some kind of mediocre demon but I'm not going risk it. Sango I want you to leave with them and find that village Shizen, and dig up that healer guy...Sai or whatever his name is once you get there."

He raised a firm hand that silenced them as they began to protest, and stifled Shippo's voice with his usual glare. "Don't argue with me, if we don't get that letch to the village its possible he could die. Like I said, if we let him die before he got to see Naraku's demise, he'd haunt us all."

  


Despite her sentiments, Kagome nodded and liberated Miroku from Inuyasha's grasp, and supported him as best she could with Sango's assistance. She looked to him and he could tell that she wanted to say something more, but the questions died behind her eyes and she gave him a weak smile instead.

  


"Please be careful Inuyasha," she said at last and he 'fehed' at her remark.

  


"You should worry more about yourself wench, if something comes after you--...ah forget it I hate doing farewell speech's," he said hurriedly before dashing off towards the end of the passage.

  


He hated the idea of leaving those four behind without any notion if they would make it Shizen safely, but he had considered the monks declining condition and the thought of that gave him the drive he needed. Soon, the thin sliver of light ahead of him, had grown rapidly with his approach as well as the significant sounds of a large band of raiders.

  


"Aye, don't let that shrimp get away now! At least cut 'is legs offa 'im first!"

  


"Aw come on now we aint gonna hurt ya or nothing, heh heh, but I can't keep that promise after we strip that box off ya!."

  


"Come on ya filthy laggards! Catch the bastard already he aint that fast! Cut 'is legs off like Garn says, then we can carve 'im up nice and slow for not 'andin that thing over like 'e shoulda!"

  


_ Wonderful,_ Inuyasha groaned. _I could have skipped playing the hero if I had just gone with them, but noooo I just **had** to go on ahead! And what's more I'm not getting a Jewel Shard out of it, not one measly little piece. Ugh, why do I always end up in stuff like this?_

  


Along with that final grudge induced thought, he burst through the end of the passage into the hazy grey ceiling of the sky, and a small lush meadow of green underfoot. The scene before him seemed strangely out of place in the tranquil surroundings, and Inuyasha stood gapping confusingly at the spectacle before him.

  


Have you ever seen the cartoons where a huge throng of loud thugs are chasing after a lone person, who happens to have a fifteen yard head start, and all of which is done in rapid fast motion that defies the laws of physics. Yes, that's exactly what Inuyasha saw as he turned his head this way and that following the odd sight, and scratched his ear trying to decide if this was some kind of weird joke.

  


The thugs frantically chasing after a young man dressed in a red robe two sizes too large which tied in a blue sash who's hangings kept tripping him, would have appeared more threatening if they didn't trip over each other only to get back up again and fall to the ground.

  


".........*sweat drops*....now this is kind of........bizarre."

  


Crossing his arms within the folds of his crimson sleeves, Inuyasha made his way over and watched the man and the thugs stumble in a small ditch, and resume their strange track of frantic running. He raised an eyebrow as the odd group simultaneously crashed into a large dead tree, and continue running and screaming as if the collision had never taken place.

  


Obviously, he wanted an explanation as to _what_ was going on, but at the same time wasn't sure if he should even ask this crazed band of people. Eventually curiosity won him over, and he launched himself at them and fell in place with the young man's zigzag pattern.

  


"Eh.....I know this may be a bad time to ask but.......what the hell are doing?"

  


"What?....*huff, huff* cant you tell?" he began between gasps. "I'm--WUAH!!"

  


The man tripped on the blue sash for what could have been the umpteenth time, and the dog demon noted the numerous scuff marks on his face as he regained his balance and quickly caught up with him spitting out dirt.

  


"Ack, plah, *cough* sorry about that!" he replied continuing to spit out grit. "Um.....what were you saying?"

  


"Eh...well I was asking you what your doing."

  


"Huh? Well isn't it obvious? I'm running."   


** "And were chasing!!!"** Came the returning call from the thugs behind them.

  


"See," he grinned as if he wasn't literally running for his life. "What they said!"

  


Inuyasha gave him a stare somewhere along the lines of 'Is-everything-all-right-upstairs?' and 'Wow-your-insane!' He was proceeding to ask him another question, and groaned as the man fell again and was soon back at his side.

  


"Well that's nice and all," he started. "But _why_ are you being chased?"

  


"Oh that! Well its because I have this---*trip* *thud*---box that they---*trip* *thud*---are trying to---*trip* *thud*---steal from me!!" He finished finally producing the item from his long sleeves to show Inuyasha.

  


** "The box! It is the box! You have the box! Give us the box!"** Chanted the thugs in unison.

  


"Never!! I will never relinquish the item in my possession which you want for your greedy little selves! I'll protect this box with my life--Waaaaah!"

  


Grumbling irritably for the second time that day, he snatched the box from the guy before it flew from his hands as he fell again. Looking up he spotted a fair sized boulder and as they neared it he leapt up onto it, and sat down sighing as they began a circuit around the boulder he sat on. Even now that he knew this band of brutes was after him, he still couldn't call the situation threatening at all. After about ten or so laps around the boulder he perched on, the man in red looked up at Inuyasha and spoke to him through gasps, and numerous amounts of tripping.

  


"Um......hey.......you have my box don't you."

  


"Yeah, glad you finally noticed." He replied sarcastically.

  


"Well.....its kind of important so.......could you please give it back to me?"

  


"Well, if those guys are chasing you because they want this box," he started leaning against his free hand. "And you don't _have_ the box, but I now have the box....why the hell are you still running around in circles?"

  


At this presentation of logic the assembly grinded to a halt, and starred dumbly at each other as if they had forgotten why they were there. All eyes turned to lock with the hanyou's who waved the box teasingly in front of them, and the thugs attention turned to the new possessor of the item they had recklessly sought after.

  


** "YOU now have the box! The box! The box! Give us the box or else you!!--"**

  


** "Shaddup about the box already!!!"**

  


With that last thread of patience gone thanks to this bizarre group of nuts, Inuyasha was among them before they could draw their swords and shout another chant. They crumpled easily to the ground as he laid out punch's and knocked heads together, using the box as bait to lure them into grabbing it only to be reduced to a whimpering, twitching figure upon the earth. Straightening up after the leader of their maddened pack had made on over dramatic descent to the ground, he surveyed his handy work and laughed slightly putting a hand behind his head.

  


"Eheh....guess I went a little over board.....but they _were_ getting on my nerves with all that incessant chanting....now then--" He trailed off looking over to the young man in red, who was shaking like a dried leaf, clinging to the boulder like a mussel his pupils dilated by fear. Upon walking towards him, he scrambled on top of the boulder, stayed there for about a second, tripped over his sash and disappeared behind it with a loud crash.

  


"The agility of a maimed cow....no actually.....I think the cow would do better than him." Inuyasha grumbled as he rounded the protruding rock, and inspected the heap of red and blue lying at its base.

  


"Have you ever thought about staying upright for a change?"

  


"Uwah!! Don't come near me demon!! I didn't do anything, I swear I'm innocent! Please don't kill me!!" He shrieked as he made a pitiful attempt at righting himself in the tangle of robes, trying to distance himself from Inuyasha.

  


"I'm not going to kill you I just want to ask you something--"

  


"Please I'm begging you don't take my life!! I have a family, although I think my Ma and Pa probably think I'm dead already, but please I'll do anything to live!! I'll grovel! I'll call you 'My Lord and Master!'--"

  


"I told you already!! I'm not going to kill you, I just want to ask you where--"

  


"Oh whoa is me! How could you be so cruel and unfeeling!--"

  


"I'm not going to kill you, you idiot! Now will you just listen to me--"

  


"How could you do this to me you vile beast!! I'm too young to die!! I've too much to live for!! I haven't even had se-"

  


"**Will you shut up and stop interrupting me!!?**" Inuyasha snapped angrily grabbing his shoulders and shaking him until he fell silent, bottom lip quivering.

  


"Now that I have your attention," he began after taking a breath. "Will you please tell me where the village Shizen is?"

  


"Why?" The man in red replied in a mouse like voice. "Are you going on a raid and pillage fest?"

  


"No," he replied keeping his temper in check. "I have a friend who's been poisoned and now I'm afraid his condition has taken a turn for the worst. I need to go there to find some healer who's supposed to have a vast amount of experience.....or something like that."

  


"Well Shizen _is_ called the Healers Village. Everyone there specializes in countless forms of medicines and remedies. Err...well which one are you looking for? I know plenty of people there." He asked cheerfully forgetting that he was still in the death grip of a demon.

  


"I'm looking for a guy named....uh what was it....Sai, he's supposed to be some really famous healer or something."

  


The man looked into his eyes for the longest time, as if searching for some lie behind the dog demons eyes. He kept staring at him so long and intensely, that Inuyasha could feel the hairs on the back of his neck prickle, and a sickening feeling wedged its way into his stomach as he wondered if this was how lovers stared at each other before they ate each others faces off in a passionate game of tonsil hockey. He was about to shake him again and tell him to stop freaking him out, when the man shook his head as if coming out of a daze and replied gleefully.

  


"Oh your looking for Sai? Well how lucky for you! _I'm_ the Healer Sai!"

  


Inuyasha paled and suppressed the urge to faint.

  


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

  


**Akida-** Alright I've finished Chapter 9!! ::does a happy dance:: Funny thing too, nothing good happened to Miroku again this time around either, could've seen that coming a mile away huh?-- ::receives angry glare from figure looming behind her:: Eh.......heh heh.....would it make you feel any better if I put more effort in to the "good things happen to Miroku" part of the story?

  
  


Miroku: Yes I'd appreciate that ::grins sardonically::

  
  


**Akida-** Ok.....::nervous laugh:: well until I get started on the next chapter, which will hopefully be a more "Uplifting One!", how about you tell me how I did with this chapter. Come on, Miroku might maul me but the 'Go' button won't bite!

  



	10. Shizen over the Horizon

  
  
  
  


**Akida**- Look I've returned! Once again I must apologize for leaving you guys on edge.....if the last chapter even had an edge . Anyways, for some strange reason I wasn't able to get online and update, but nevertheless I shall bring you the next installment of this story. 

  
  
  
  
  


**-:-Disclaimer-:-** Ok standard procedure still applies, and I don't own any of Rumiko-sama's characters. ::muffled screams can be heard from a closet in some dark corner::......Eh....ok.....maybe I don't own them, but abducting and owning are two different things right?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

  


**My Dearest Miroku**

  


**By: Akida**

  


**Shizen over the Horizon**

  
  


*--------------------------------------------------------------------*

  


The man looked into his eyes for the longest time, as if searching for some lie behind the dog demons eyes. He kept staring at him so long and intensely, that Inuyasha could feel the hairs on the back of his neck prickle, and a sickening feeling wedged its way into his stomach as he wondered if this was how lovers stared at each other before they ate each others faces off in a passionate game of tonsil hockey. He was about to shake him again and tell him to stop freaking him out, when the man shook his head as if coming out of a daze and replied gleefully.

  


"Oh your looking for Sai? Well how lucky for you! _I'm_ the Healer Sai!"

  


Inuyasha paled and suppressed the urge to faint.

  


*--------------------------------------------------------------------*

  


High above the rugged green speckled hills of the mountains, and through the thick haze that clouded the afternoon sun, a fiery speck made its way across the sky. A crane perched on a craggy outcrop monitoring the fire cats passage, let out a hoarse call, and took flight towards its next destination in a flurry of feathers.

  


Sango turned to her left and glanced down at the unchanging landscape, and strained her eyes to pick out any signs of a settlement. Each stretch of land they crossed put a weight on her chest, and she tried to compose herself as panic welled up inside her.

  


_ Its been so long since we left Inuyasha, and I still haven't seen any sign of that village Kaede-sama was speaking of._

  


She felt Miroku's weight shift against her as Kagome, who sat behind him in the rear, moved forward to keep from falling off. Shippo protested momentarily from his mussel like position on Kagome's shoulder, but then went back to suppressing waves of nausea from the dizzying heights. Miroku's hoarse cough sounded from behind her, and she tilted her head to look at Kagome from the corner of her eye.

  


"Kagome, how is he doing?" She said raising her voice over the winds that swept by them.

  


"Sango I....we need to hurry and find Shizen, I think he's gotten worse," she said massaging Miroku's shoulder as he moaned faintly.

  


Sango suppressed the rising dread that threatened to engulf her mind, and blot her sense of rational thought. She nodded to reassure herself that they would find the village, and also to keep the vile image of the monks painfully slow death from her mind.

  


She scoured the landscape desperately looking for something that appeared to be a civilization. She leaned over slightly squinting her eyes, as two dark specks lumbered slowly along the ground below them. Calling a sharp command to Kirara, the cat descended swiftly yet slow enough as to not jolt the sickly passenger she carried.

  


As the lush earth drew closer, Sango was able to pick out that one of the shapes was a large four-legged animal, and the other could have been a human draped in a greenish blue cloak. The green clad figure strode beside the animal in an unhurried manner.

  


Throwing caution to the winds, Sango had Kirara land in a meadow to the right of the walking figures, and Sango immediately dashed towards them in the hopes that maybe the "human" could provide directions. As she neared she could now distinguish that the large animal was an auburn colored horse with a plodding stride, and the green clad figure was a considerably tall woman. Gasping and wheezing, she scrambled up a shallow incline, and stood in front of the woman a few meters away, blocking her path.

  


"Excuse...me," she said between exhausted puffs. "Can you please give me directions to a place called Shizen? Is it near here? It's urgent that I find that place as soon as possible."

  


The woman did not reply, but Sango noted the way her hood covered her face and eyes, and she felt a slight unease at not seeing a persons face. Then again, she wouldn't take to kindly to someone who just came up out of the blue demanding directions. She chanced a glance towards her two friends, and saw that Kagome was carefully pulling Miroku from Kirara's back onto the ground, and Shippo made a great display of appearing as if he'd pass out.

  


After a time of stiff silence, broken only by the sharply cool breezes that danced through the tall grass, the looming woman responded.

  


"What does one such as yourself, wish with the 'Village of Healers'?" Sango noted the slight Indian accent in her voice, and shifted her weight as she continued: "You say it is of great urgency that you are told of its whereabouts, but many people can be mistaken for what is truly urgent business and what is trivial worry. Is this urgency plausibly?"

  


"Of course its plausible!" Sango snapped angrily. "Who the hell do you think you are questioning me like that!? If I didn't have a damn good reason to be going there, I wouldn't even waste my time asking for directions!"

  


A light chuckle escaped the hooded figure, and Sango had to exercise an incredible amount of self-control so as not to walk over and punch her. Composing herself somewhat, she listened stiffly as the woman continued taking no notice of Sango's temper.

  


"Perhaps explaining your situation would be a more suitable course of action?"

  


"I don't have time to tell a perfect stranger my problems! But the point is that my friend is suffering from a fatal poison even as we speak! If I don't get him to Shizen there's a possibility he might.....die." She choked momentarily on the last word.

  


"Fatal poison you say? It couldn't be all that fatal, for your friend would have surely departed this realm by now. But, sometimes the worst of things do take time to settle in don't they," she said slowly more to herself than to Sango. "Yes, I see now, Shizen would be the best place to go for something like that. It is said the healers who practice there can cure any ailment....so it is said, so it is said."

  


"So will you take me there? You sound like you know where it is," Sango said hopefully.

  


The woman turned away form her and cooed softly to the auburn stallion that nudged her arm. She stroked its forehead in small circles, and said a few words that Sango guessed was her native language. She watched her as she completely ignored her as if she'd dropped off the face of the earth, and felt a sudden spark of annoyance at the nerve of this stranger. First she had probed her like a detective extracting information from a criminal, then she ignored in the same instant like she wasn't there.

  


Many minutes passed by as the woman's attention was solely on the beast, and Sango felt the need to break something before she snapped. Here she was standing in the middle of this road waiting for the approval of a stranger, while Miroku was most likely steeped in pain, and for once she actually wished Inuyasha were here to beat the information she needed out of the bizarre woman. When she almost considered doing the beating herself, the woman turned towards her and nodded.

  


"I have decided......I shall allow you to accompany me to Shizen."

  


_ Finally! I swear any longer and I would have..._   


Sango hampered that thought and bowed graciously instead: "Thank you kindly, you have no idea how helpful this is to us."

  


The green clad woman merely nodded, and turned her attention to the meadow on her right where Kirara sat next to Kagome.

  


"Call your friends miss."

  


Sango did so and Kagome waved a hand in the air indicating that she had heard her. The exterminator watched as she hoisted the monk onto his feet, wrapping an arm around his waist and draping his arm over her shoulder, and moved sluggishly towards the road with Kirara and Shippo following close behind.

  


"So," Kagome began slightly out of breath from carrying her dead weight. "Can she help is get to Shizen?"

  


"Yes Kagome, I think she's going there so we'll be traveling with her...." She trailed off glancing over to the horse nudging the woman's arm, and motioned to it. "Do you mind if we...?"

  


The woman paused and stared at Sango until she figured out that she meant 'Can we use your horse to carry our load so we don't have to', and nodded.

  


"By all means miss, besides it will make the passage all the more quicker."

  


She said this while mounting her charge, and lifting the monk effortlessly from the ground and onto a space in front of her. Sango gave the unusually tall woman a second glance, wondering if she was a demon of sorts, and took her place on Kirara's back adjusting the weight of her oversized Boomerang. Kagome perched behind her glad that she wasn't in danger of falling off this time around, although Shippo wasn't too content with the fact that they were already leaving before he could walk a straight line.

  


" 'The Village of Healers' should not be too far from here, and if we follow this road due north," she pointing straight ahead, keeping a firm hold on the auburn horse pulling against its reigns. "Then we shall reach it before sundown."

  


"The sooner the better," Sango added as Kirara lurched forward. "Time has been against us since the moment he was inflicted with that poison, I'd be better if we could make it well before sundown."

  


"Indeed," the woman replied softly as she followed after the fire cat, with an arm wrapped around Miroku's torso to steady him. She glanced at the monk for a moment, and noted the dark shadows around his eyes and the pale, fragile quality his face had acquired.

  


_ How strange for a poison to make a person appear as if they've died already, what manner of beast or being could possibly do this? I've never seen a toxin do this to someone.... or perhaps..... this toxin isn't the only thing that ails him._

  


Sango looked to her left as the woman caught up to them, and narrowed her eyes at Miroku's position on the stead.

  


_ If he was awake right now, he'd be loving every moment of this..... dirty hentai--_

  


"If you'll excuse me...but what name is given you and your comrades?" The woman shouted to be heard over the chilly mountain winds whipping by them, and interrupted Sango's thoughts in the process.

  


"Oh sorry about that! My name is Sango, this girl behind me is Kagome, the fox-child is Shippo and the man your carrying is Miroku!"

  


"Miroku," the woman said the name slowly. Kagome and Shippo glanced quizzically at each other, and prayed to whatever divine god there was that this woman hadn't _been_ with Miroku in any way shape or form. 

  


"That name sounds familiar to me for some reason." Sango gagged, and Shippo and Kagome laughed nervously. "But then again, I know a lot of people with names beginning with 'M'. " She replied looking over at Sango who had a stiff, murderous glare locked onto the black robed man. "But don't worry Sango-san, I'm not going to steal him away from you."

  


The weight of that suggestion hit Sango like a ton of bricks, and the Exterminator caught herself as she nearly fell from Kirara's back. Righting herself, she whipped a stunned red face to the taller woman protesting the acknowledgment.

  


"...Aga...naaa..no-NO! I-Its not like that! Seriously!--"

  


"Ah ah. No use denying it Sango-san, and even if you continue to its a bit less convincing to do so with a cherry red face such as yours," the woman replied laughing.

  


"Oh Shut up! That's just creepy, I've got absolutely no interest in that hentai! In fact, _you_ can have him for all I care! I'd sure take a load of our hands!"

  


"But you know what Sango," Kagome sounded over her shoulder from behind. "You do get a little on the defensive side whenever he asks other women to 'Bear his Child'--"

  


"Oh Kagome not you too?!"

  


"Say," Shippo said with a look of sudden revelation. "Now that I think about it, your probably the only woman he _hasn't_ made his proposition to.....your not feeling left out are you? Because you know I'm sure he'd--"

  


"Shippo-chan you don't want to finish that sentence," Sango growled menacingly.

  


"Ha ha ha, Sango-san it seems we've prodded a sensitive issue," the woman interjected and continued to tease the frazzled girl. "It could be just me, but you seemed a bit....oh....jealous when I dragged your male friend up here with me. We could always stop and trade places, you and I?--"

  


"Ugh Please!! Spare me will you?! Your making my skin crawl!!"

  


Sango was the only one who didn't seem to appreciate the fun being poked at her, and yet it provided to divert her mind from the turmoil of the past weeks. Despite herself, she turned a worried eye to the sickly monk, and stayed her gaze for a moment to inspect the same odd distinctions made by the green clad woman.

  


_ He looks dead already...could this be another side effect of the venom running through his veins? Oh please don't die Miroku, you may be a creep, but even you don't deserve to die this way...not you or anyone else..._

  


"Oh and by the way," the woman spoke suddenly dispersing Sanog's thoughts again. " My name is Miharu, Kagami."

  


"Miharu, Kagami." Sango said the name slowly putting it away into her memory. She was good with names, and who knows when a situation requested the recalling of a particular name. "Kagami-sama, I will be forever be in your debt for helping us like you have, there must be some way I can repay your kindness..."

  


"If he lives Sango-san, consider your debt to me paid. A persons life outweighs anything you can possibly give me, and knowing that I assisted in the sparing a life from a death far before their time is more than enough."

  


Sango nodded reflecting on those words, and forced her gloomy mind set into a state of optimism. She had to keep a strong front for the sake of her friends, and for the sake of her sanity. She couldn't let her emotions rule her completely, not when her friends needed her most, and not when Miroku needed her most.

  


_ Wait.....Miroku needs me most? Where the heck did that come from?! Ugh, I must still be thinking about what Kagami-sama was teasing me about..... at least.... I hope she was teasing me..._

  


Putting that thought behind her, she focused on their destination: Shizen, 'The Village of Healers', as Kagami had referred to it, the one place in this region that could help Miroku evade death once again. But if even they couldn't help him, then who or what could?

  


--------------------

  


"Eheh.......this is......some kind of......some kind of joke.......right.........please say I'm right........please tell me your just being funny...."

  


"No I'm not joking, why would I joke about my own identity?"

  


A very miffed dog-demon sat back and crouched in his usual doglike stance, narrowing his eyes at the red robed man before him. Studying him like one would study an obvious liar. Unfortunately, this man wasn't lying, and it took a good deal of 'human' self-control not to reach over and throttle him, and make him say he was lying through his teeth.

  


_ You've got to be kidding me! This clumsy, fluff headed oaf is supposed to be Sai? The same Great Healer Sai that is supposed to be able to cure, remedy just about anything you throw at him?! Ugh that's it! Its the end of the world as we know it when someone like **this** guy is given a powerful position..._

  


Inuyasha continued to stare at him and Sai stared back with that _overly happy_ expression that made you want to strangle the 'happiness' out of them. Sai, who was now copying Inuyasha's seated position, continued to lean forward until his nose almost touched the dog boys face. When Inuyasha returned from his trancelike state of denial, his nerves nearly shorted out at the distance proximity with which Sai had slowly closed. He leapt up onto the boulder in a surge of silver and red, and made a displeased face at the bemused Healer.

  


"...*gasp**gasp*...Will you quit doing that?!"

  


"Huh? Doing what?" Sai asked innocently.

  


"Getting so close to me! Stop getting all close like that, your freaking me out!!"

  


"Well you keep staring at me like that, so.....um......shouldn't I be the one--"

  


"Ah shut up already, your confusing me." Inuyasha cut him off huffily and returned to the tall emerald grass of the mountain earth. "Anyway, do you think you could take me to Shizen? I already told you I've got a friend that's been inflicted with a fatal poison, so don't try to feed me that 'You-don't-have-a-good-enough-reason-to-go-there' crap, because your taking me there whether you want to or not! Got it?"

  


"Yessir! Can do sir! No complaints or dissents here sir!" Sai replied in mock military fashion, standing up straight and saluting the unimpressed dog-demon.

  


" *sigh* Your just asking to get strangled aren't you?" Inuyasha tilted his head and gave him a sugary sadistic murderer's smile.

  


"Huh wha-- wait a minute....you....you promised you wouldn't kill me!! You lied to me! You are going to kill me aren't you!?" Sai screeched looking considerably like a freshly bleached sheet. He scrambled up the boulder, tripping himself numerous times in the process, and stood there for a minute before he spotted two travelers on a high road in front of him. He began waving his arms frantically in the air screaming, while Inuyasha clambered up behind him.

  


"**Help!! Somebody help me!! I'm going to be eaten! Mauled! Dismembered! Mutilated and discarded in a steaming pile of blood and sad memories!! Why?! Why have the Gods cursed me with such an unkind and unfair fate?! Don't I pay my taxes on time?! Is it about me not giving enough of myself to the world?! Do I have to donate my arm, my leg, and my kidneys in order to escape this dastardly fa--**"

  


"**Will you shut up already!!? And get down here before you hurt yourself you accident prone idiot!!**" Inuyasha shouted attempting to drag the flailing mass of blue from the rock, but not without snagging a claw on his lengthy red sash, and having it unravel as he struggled with him.

  


"Ack what the--..Hey what are you doing?! Stop pulling at my sash your going to make my robe fall off--Ugh!! You vile cretin, your going to _force_ yourself on me and _then_ your going to kill me!!"

  


"What the?! ** I am not!! Quit jumping to sick conclusions like that and--**"

  


"**Ack! Help me please, dear lord someone help this pitiful soul!! You have to help me! Don't let him take what's left of my fragile virginity!! He's not even my type!--**"

  


"**Get down here you fool!**" And with that Inuyasha finally hauled Sai from the rock he was glued to, and threw him forcefully to the ground. Inuyasha cast a nervous glance over to the two travelers on the road, and continued to watch them as they looked at each, shrugged, and continued on as if they hadn't seen the strangest two minute display of their late afternoon trek.

  


"Now then," Inuyasha muttered grumpily as he turned to look at the shaking bundle of blue and red, and sighed feeling a sudden wave of fatigue creep over him. Despite this entire crazy ordeal he'd endured, he was still back at square one with this insane Healer, and to add to it he know had a throbbing headache from all his screaming.

  


_ That's it. From now on I am never going to volunteer to look for someone **again**... their just going to have to find people themselves, or not find them at all 'cause I sure as hell won't do it...._

  


Sighing heavily he knelt down leisurely and looked across at the 'Famous Healer', still trying to convince himself that this was really him. Shaking his head, and for maybe the only time in his life, he spoke to him quietly without his usual 'I-command-you-and-you-have-no-say' manner of speech.

  


"Listen to me, I need you to help me....I need you to heal someone who can't die yet.....If I was going to hurt you, you would have to do something that seriously pissed me off enough to take revenge on you. If this person dies," he said inching forward slightly and noted how Sai remained motionless. "Then someone who loves him deeply will be in a lot of pain." Inuyasha placed his hands on Sai's shoulders in a gently grip, in which Sai didn't squirm away from. "I'm asking you now.......will you help me cure this person?"

  


Inuyasha watched Sai's facial expressions, and wondered at the fragile distraught look his eyes held. His usual comical 'I-have-no-idea-what's-going-on' expression was replaced by one that strangely appeared like that of a battered child. Inuyasha was puzzled by this, and in fact, it bothered him a little.

  


"If I refused to assist you," Sai finally said at length. "I couldn't possibly keep the title of a Healer, for a healer gives aid wherever it is needed. No matter if they be friend or foe, demon or human, I will give aid to anyone in need.....anyone."

  


Sai gazed at Inuyasha and nodded his head as if making a mental confirmation to his words. He took the demons hands in his and stood slowly, squeezed them once, and then donned his light-hearted expression.

  


"Alright then, Shizen isn't far from here so if we leave now then we can help your friend in no time.....eh," he paused suddenly looking around himself. "Um......where......_is_ your friend?"

  


"Eheh....well you see....I was expecting to run into a band of raiders, and not a band of thickheaded thugs, so I had my other three companions leave to look for Shizen while I remained here."

  


"Um well....*sweat drops*..that does kind of making curing him a little difficult don't you think?--" Sai trailed off as he saw Inuyasha form the makings of a glare that promised pain. "_But_ I guess your expecting me to get you there....that's right......isn't it?"

  


"Mhmm exactly and uh..." Inuyasha began staring at Sai's tight grip on his hands, then looked back up at him. "You wouldn't mind letting go of me would you? I'm sure if I detached your hands, it would make life a little more difficult than it already is."

  


Sai let his hands go quickly and gave the dog demon his best watery smile, which evaporated under the withering glare he received. Instead he turned his attention to his right, and motioned towards another pass northeast of them. Inuyasha nodded, and tried to envision the Healers Village beyond that pass, and prayed that Sango, Shippo and Kagome had found it and arrived well before he had.

  


Sighing heavily, Inuyasha fell into place behind the Healer trying to draw a mental picture of what this village would look like. Since he wasn't good with mentally drawing pictures, he let that go and kept his amber eyes riveted on the mist enshrouded passage ahead. He could feel that somewhere beyond that passage, lay a civilization completely devoted to the treatment of others, and hopefully his companions had already reached that place of sanctuary.

  


--------------------

  


"It will be just over that rise, we are drawing near now." Kagami shouted as she ducked a low hanging shrub tree.

  


Kagome gaped at their surroundings. The scenery had changed dramatically and she couldn't help staring open-mouthed at the craggy hills. Ruins of a variety of stone works littered the hillside, making the passage appear like time travel in motion. Ruins of carefully carved steps scored into the hillside, ornately carved pillars reaching dizzying, and huge toppled spires lay enveloped in vine plants. The ruins were made from marble, red stone, granite, and some were even coated and now appeared like aged gold. Stone slabs forced into the hillside depicted humanlike figures in a sequence that she guessed was intended to show important events.

  


_ Incredible! This place is like a museum! I wonder if any of these ruins have anything I should remember for history class.... supposing I'll even get to a day of class..._

  


"This place is amazing," Sango said voicing Kagome's thoughts aloud. "What is this place?" She asked Kagami as she inspected a statue of an armless angel made of granite.

  


"Oh, this place is called the _Road of Worlds_." Kagami replied ducking a low hanging branch. "It is called this, because a long time ago, peoples from many nations and cultures would make their homes in these mountains. And as with all people, they began etching their place in the world buy building stone structures, buildings, homes and the like. As more people came, this land began to look like a honeycomb in a beehive, with all the cultures moving in together. I think even the Greeks at one point took up residence as well."

  


"But I don't get it," Kagome frowned. "Why have all these different people, from all over the world, come live in one place? Were they trying to make some kind of Utopia-like society?"

  


"Not too bad girl, you've got a good head on your shoulders." Kagami replied grinning. "Yes, that's exactly what their goal was: To make a Utopia of the worlds peoples. In a society like that, everyone must share what they have and in turn your neighbor must share what they have. Now, the problem is people don't share very readily with each other. There will always be the group of people who wants more than everyone else, and they will always convince other groups that having more than everyone else puts you in an _alpha dog_ position." She continued shifting Miroku's weight slightly. 

  


"Now, the only way to get more in a place where we all share are goods is to either steal them, or wait for someone to die then steal them. To make a long story short, push came to shove, wars broke out between them, and the ending result is all these beautiful ruins and no people living in them."

  


Sango and Kagome digested the story, turning the bits of information over in their minds. Kagome was thinking, that most of history seemed to revolve around wars just like this one, and the countless battle sites of the feudal era. The fact that some things couldn't be solved with just words alone put a new light on her thoughts of human nature.

  


"You know, now that I think about it." Shippo began peering absently into a hole that appeared to have been a dwelling some time ago. "Humans are preoccupied with killing off demons, and at the same time with killing off other humans they consider threatening. Yet, at the same time demons are preoccupied with killing off humans, and at the same time with killing off other demons. So, if were all busy killing each other and members of our own species...then wouldn't that make us all alike?"

  


"What are you getting at Shippo-chan?" Kagome said turning a puzzled look towards the fox-child clinging to her shoulder like a mussel.

  


"Well, if were all thinking and doing the same thing, which happens to be killing stuff, then aren't humans....in a sense....just like demons and vice versus? If were all just like each other.....than why fight?"

  


Sango laughed suddenly and said: "You know Shippo-chan, for a little fox runt like you, you sure have an interesting way of looking at the world."

  


"Well its the truth!"

  


"Aye, there is a sense of rationality there." Kagami grinned thinking about it. "You'd think that with all the destruction either race 'causes we'd be fine living with each other. But I think that's the problem right there: actually coexisting with each other, and sharing the same breathing space. And that is why a utopia between humans and demons will never truly exist."

  


"Well, were kind of doing the utopia thing right now," Kagome added in. "I mean, Inuyasha and Shippo are demons and their coexisting peacefully with us.....Well, ok, we do get into fights, but not to the point where were drawing blood."

  


"I think the problem of having humans and demons live with each other comes up when there are larger groupings of them," Sango said slowly. "If there were just a lot of small groups, I guess things wouldn't be so rough...?"

  


"Don't forget, there are sick twisted demons like Naraku out there," Shippo remarked scrunching up his face. "Demons like that are always trying to screw up everyone's lives whether their human or demon."

  


"Ugh, that is true." Sango replied stabbing at a mental picture of their baboon clothed menace. "I think first, we'd have to purge the lands of all that share his demented way of life, _then_ try the utopia thing between humans and demons again."

  


"Or," Kagome said slowly forming a slight grin. "We could all be like Inuyasha."

  


"Ugh gross! I don't want to be like dog breath," Shippo replied pulling a face. "I'm fine the way I am thank you very much."

  


"I think I have to agree with Shippo-chan on this one Kagome. I don't have anything against the guy, its just the thought eating, sleeping, and breathing the need to fight something is a bit....I don't know.....tormenting. And don't forget Kagome, the only reason he's still hanging around is so he can get his claws on the Shikon Jewel so he can become a full-fledged demon."

  


Kagome rolled her eyes: "Guys that wasn't what I meant. I meant what if we were all half-demons. Inuyasha's half demon and half human....so...if we were all that way, then we really couldn't argue that we have to get ride of demons to ensure our safety because, we'd all be demons!"

  


Sango frowned trying to figure out where she got _that_ bit of logic from and said: "Kagome, your saying that if we were all half-demon and half-human, we couldn't whine and gripe about one race screwing up the balance of life?" She thought it over some more. "Huh....guess that does make a little sense."

  


"Well its making my head hurt!" Shippo whined scratching behind an ear. "How'd this weird conversation get started anyway?"

  


"I don't know but I'm going to stop thinking about it too," Sango said sighing heavily. "Its giving me a headache--hey what is that!"

  


The group looked to where she was pointing. A tall thick, smoothly carved wooden pole jutted up out of the ground, in the middle of a clearing to their left. A sun like object glittered dully from the top of it, and a long red cloth tied to the base of the sun fluttered lazily. Two more just like it came into view on either side of them, and three more after that.

  


"Those are markers Sango-san," Kagami replied watching them as they trailed beside them. "The Healers had them put up to show travelers that they were nearing Shizen, a place of sanctuary for anyone who wished it.....we should be nearing it.....right about..........now."

  


The close knit hills opened up suddenly, and a meadow of grass and jagged ash rocks covered the landscape. Low mountain hills broke the horizon line in a rough circle. Kagami pointed to a hazy dark splotch ahead of them, and turned an eye to Sango watching her expression. The exterminator stared at the splotch in front of them, knowing that that had to be Shizen. It was the only thing it could be this far out in the mountains, and a sense of urgency enveloped her mind as the splotch toke the form of a vast patchwork of settlements.

  


_ So that is Shizen, this is where that Healer Sai is supposed to live. This is where your pain ends Miroku, no longer will you be in a poisoned, fevered sleep. We'll finally be able to save you._

  


Sango stole a glance at the monk and smiled beside herself. After he was cured he would be back to his usual hentai antics, and the exterminator felt she would be more at ease once he was the way he used to be. Urging Kirara to speed up her pace, she watched the first few glimpses of a civilization devoted to the help of others whiz by her, and reflected on the long hard journey they had taken to get here.

  


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**Akida-** Look I've finished this chapter finally! I was intending it to be a little longer than this, but the last couple parts of this story didn't fit well with the flow of this chapter. Anyways, now that I've alerted you to this trivial piece of information, go review! Go tell me that I toke forever to update! Go sympathize with Miroku in the 'Nothing-good-ever-happens-to-me' department! Go do whatever you like, but please leave me a review first! 


	11. Reunion

  


** Akida**- Alright a few things about the last chapter. Yes that conversation about the demon human thing was a little strange, and I've been trying my darndest to figure out where that came from. O.o Anyways, I got a review that pointed out that Miroku's part of the story was barely written about. I did that on purpose. The reason being that every now and then, the main focus of a story has to let the fuzzy faces in the background have their chance. But besides that, I needed a place to build on the few characters just placed into the story. But no need to fret, there will be plenty of pain and torture to Miroku in chapters to come I promise you that.

  


** -:-Disclaimer-:-** Well I don't own Inuyasha at all....and since I only have about $5.03 I guess purchasing any rights to the series is outta the question.....

  


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**My Dearest Miroku**

  


**By: Akida**

  


**Reunion**

  


*--------------------------------------------------------------------*

  


Sango stole a glance at the monk and smiled beside herself. After he was cured he would be back to his usual hentai antics, and the exterminator felt she would be more at ease once he was the way he used to be. Urging Kirara to speed up her pace, she watched the first few glimpses of a civilization devoted to the help of others whiz by her, and reflected on the long hard journey they had taken to get here.

  


*--------------------------------------------------------------------*

  


"Wow your right Inu-chan! This _is_ a lot faster than walking!"

  


"Yeah, yeah whatever. And even if we did keep walking, I think you'd have killed yourself tripping all over the place like you were......clumsy idiot."

  


The dog demon whipped through the ceiling of green foliage, springing deftly from limb to limb, tree trunk to tree trunk, as if he were running normally on the ground far below them.

  


Finally they were getting somewhere.

  


For the first hour of their trek towards Shizen, Sai continued his 'trip' 'get up' trip again' routine until Inuyasha was sure he was covered from head to toe in scuffs, scraps, and mild bruises. He then agreed to carrying him as he had done numerous times with Kagome to 1. speed up their traveling speed, and 2. so that Sai wouldn't maim himself on the next object he stumbled blindly over.

  


He couldn't really believe that this man was the Healer that could save Miroku, never mind keeping himself from harms reach. He let the thought pass. He didn't need his head clouded with jumbled doubts at a time like this.

  


"You know Inu-chan, its so nice of you to carry me like this," Sai sounded cheerfully from over his shoulder. "I really don't know what I would have done if you hadn't shown up--"

  


"Why do you keep calling me that?!"

  


"Calling you what?"

  


"Inu-chan!!"

  


Sai thought this over for a moment and came up with the only solution his sweet fluff filled mind could work up.

  


"Well.... I don't know....I guess that's the first thing that came to mind when I saw those cute fuzzy doggie ears of yours ^.^"

  


Dog boy twitched an eyebrow.

  


"You better pray that that was just a joke you klutz or I'll tear your--"

  


"Say Inu-chan can I rub your ears?"

  


"**Don't you dare touch me!! And if you try it I'll eat your hands off!**"

  


"**Waaaaah! You said you weren't gonna hurt me!**" Sai whined through large watery eyes. Images of slow roasting food played in his head, a fountain of tears streamed down his face.

  


"Oh for the love of..." Inuyasha sighed rolling his eyes.

  


They continued on at a break neck pace as the landscape continued to be nothing but treetops as far as he could see. At length, Inuyasha noticed that the trees were becoming sparse and left the high branches to travel the rest of the way upon the earth. He looked ahead past the rapidly thinning forest, and continued on until a closely knit mountain pass engulfed him and his passenger. The sheer, smooth walls on either side of the path shoot up around him, and he felt the air pack tighter inside its narrow sides and press against him.

  


Glancing at the ruins scattered around and above him, he felt like he was traveling through multitudes of cultures all in an instant. Never had he seen so many varieties of stone works and structures in one place, and he wondered what the story behind all this was. A few structures he recognized to be old remnants of their native country of Japan, but these were significantly sparse in comparison to their foreign neighbors.

  


"This place is called the Road of Worlds, " Sai said suddenly as if reading his thoughts. "A long time ago there were many different races gathered here in a kind of Utopia-like society. But as always it didn't work out. War soon tore this land apart, and this is all that's left of the ancient ones, but their tales still remain embedded in these ruins for all the world to see."

  


"Heh that figures, you humans will start wars over just about anything. Just like rodents fighting over a bread crumb," Inuyasha remarked scornfully.

  


"Hn you think so? Because I can easily say the same about the race of demons," Sai replied smoothly.

  


Inuyasha gave him a sidelong glare and was about to make a nasty comment, when the healer pointed out a towering soundly carved pole with its glistening sun-like object, and long red cloth.

  


"Aha! Just what I was looking for. We put those markers up to let travelers know that our village wasn't too far off........but," he trailed off watching the markers whiz by. "I really wasn't expecting them to show up so quickly! We've made excellent progress Inu-chan, we'll be there in no time! Now I can help your friend sooner than I expected."

  


Inuyasha replied with a simple 'hmph' and decided to change the topic.

  


"Not that I care or anything, but are there more roads than just this one?"

  


"Oh yes many more," Sai replied enthusiastically delighted to have the chance to talk about something he knew. "There are many other roads besides this one. A few lead to Shizen, and a few lead to other places in the mountains. Its like a maze around here so we set up the markers with red cloth indicating that those roads lead to Shizen, and the markers with blue cloth for those leading to shrines and temples. I think there are other colored markers, but I'm not sure about why their there let alone where they are." 

  


"So I guess you can get lost pretty easily eh?"

  


"Mmm hmm," Sai said pleased with his knowledge of the area. "But I guess it wouldn't matter to someone like you Inu-chan. All you'd have to do is follow your nose!"

  


Inuyasha grumbled something inaudible but let the canine pun slide.

  


Almost instantly the path dropped off from view, and opened into another immense meadow of tall grass and ash white rocks. Inuyasha squinted into the distance as something caught his eye. Through the mountain mists, he could barely make out a large structure, and took a sharp breath saying:

  


"Is that...?"

  


"Yup yup Inu-chan, that's the Healers village Shizen, and also the place I proudly call home." he replied grinning gleefully.

  


Inuyasha continued on picking up the pace, more so that he could get this healer to Miroku, and also because he wanted to be sure his companions had arrived there safely. He looked to the left as an object flew past, and registered it as a small cottage, able to shelter a family of four. A few more of these whipped by, and he observed that if there were people outside of those shelters, they didn't cower in fear like most humans. They seemed to regard him as just a passing traveler, and a few even waved as he flew by in a blur of white and red.

  


Inuyasha began to put what he'd seen to thought when Sai wrapped an arm around his neck, and clenched a fistful of his red cloak in his free hand. He felt the healers head press gently against his neck, and he sensed a wave of sudden fatigue emanating from the healer.

  


"Sai," he yelled over the howling winds. "You alright?"

  


He didn't answer for a while, but eventually he managed to reply:

  


"H-Hai I'm fine Inu-chan.....I guess I'm not used to this kind of travel," he replied forcing a smile into his voice.

  


Inuyasha wasn't fooled. He knew there was more to it than that, but he let it go for now. He didn't have the time to be asking things of him, he needed to concentrate on getting him to Shizen as soon as possible.

  


_ Were almost there Sai....just don't do anything stupid like pass out on my back...._

  


--------------------

  


"Looking for Sai's residence are ye?"

  


"Yes, its very urgent that we see this healer, we've been sent by one who knows him...um...her?...very well."

  


"Well there are many who know of the Great Healer Sai, but that don't mean anythin' now do it?"

  


Sango gritted her teeth in impatience. She tried her best not to glare holes into the short old woman who she was interrogating. Her sharp features resembled that of an old crow, and her eyes regarded the exterminator as if she were a heathen.

  


She had thought things would be easier when they had entered the city, but truth be told they weren't getting anywhere. They'd tried to find the healers residence, but they ended up lost and somehow wandered into a busy area of the city, possibly a market place of sorts. She had her friends wait under the shade of a large tree so Miroku's already furnace like body wouldn't overheat anymore than it already had.

  


Sango spotted an old woman standing behind a wooden sales counter lined with multicolored fabrics. She'd gone over to ask directions and soon found that opening clam shells was easier to do, than get a hint of where they were out of this woman.

  


"Please, I have a friend that's very ill and I need to get him to a healer. There's a possibility that he might die."

  


"Were all going to die anyway aren't we!? Why should it matter to me if a perfect stranger pass on eh?"

  


"Excuse me?!" Sango shrieked. "How can you say something like that! Besides it isn't like I'm asking you to move a freakin' mountain! I'm just asking for directions I don't think it would kill you to give some directions woman--!"

  


"Don't you get smart with me young lady!!" The old woman snapped jabbing a knobby finger at Sango. "You've got no idea what Master Sai's going through, and right now he doesn't need you or anyone else bothering him with pleas for healing!! The best thing for him now is rest and nothing else! So you just take your sassy little self out of my sight, because I'm not telling you anything!"

  


"**You.....You stubborn old hag!!! I'll hang you upside down by your toenails if that's what it takes to get you talking!!**" Sango yelled clenching her fists until she was sure cuts would appear from digging her fingernails into her skin. 

  


"Oh just forget about it Sango-san," Shippo growled from over her shoulder. "We're wasting out time trying to reason with this fossil. Lets just go already."

  


The old woman shot a surprised and insulted look at the fox child.

  


"Fossil!? Why I never! You insolent little...."

  


Just when Sango was seriously considering throttling the old woman, a tall man with dusty black hair and a greenish-blue yukata came from one side carrying a tight bundle of the same fabric being sold at that stand. He looked from the exterminator to the old woman, then let out a long sigh shaking his head.

  


"Mom....are you harassing my customers again?" he said dropping the bundle on a mat near the stand, and waved a hand to silence any protests from her. Turning to Sango and Shippo he smiled warmly said:

  


"Gomen ne, I hope she didn't trouble you too much, she doesn't take too well to travelers and the like. Now then," he said crossing his arms. "what can I do for you? Here to browse or buy?"

  


Sango shook her head and said: "No we need directions. We need to find a healer named Sai....I have a friend that's very ill.....and his conditions already gotten worse. I was sent here another such person saying that this healer may be the only person that can help him now."

  


"Ah I see, here to see our famous healer eh?" He said raising his eyebrows. "Eh, well who doesn't want to see him. Now then to get to his place, you go straight down this road to my right here.......hush momma......and you'll come to a fork in the road where a willow tree grows. Take the left path all the way up the hill and you'll be there."

  


"Thank you very much," Sango said taking a step back and bowed. "You don't know how helpful you've been."

  


The man merely grinned and bowed in return, watched as she ran over to the tree to confer with her odd assembly of companions.

  


"**You! Why did you tell them!**" His mother cried.

  


"Because I know Master Sai cares more about the lives of others than his own, and despite what may happen to him as long as he can still help people in need he'll be happy. That's just how he is," he said staring at the ground sadly. His mother said nothing more, and knelt to untangle the heap of fabric on the floor, a pained look of worry etched into her bird face.

  


Sango cast a glance behind her silently thanking the man as his stand was enveloped by the crowd, then turned her attention to the group. Her eyes darted as she tried to figure out what was out of place.

  


"Kagami? Where's Kagami-sama?" She said turning around and scanning the meshed crowd of heads.

  


"Don't worry," Kagome stood brushed off her skirt. "Kagami-sama said she'd gotten a report that Sai had left Shizen a while ago, and she said he might return so she said to go on ahead without her. I'm guessing she's going to wait for him," she said with a shrug.

  


"Hmm...not a bad idea, I just hope this healer guy gets here soon."

  


With a nod from both of them, their troupe gathered themselves and moved on. Sango and Kagome ran on foot seeing as there was no need to burden the fire cat with their weight any longer, much to Kirara's approval. Sango noticed that the people in the crowds they passed were fairly diverse. She could have sworn a few times that she'd seen a demon lurking about, but dismissed it as a trick of fatigue.

  


_ I've got more important things to worry about right now._ She thought picking up the pace.   


--------------------

  


A lone figure stood far ahead from the gates of Shizen, wrapped in a brown travel worn cloak. Sharp eyes peered out through the hood, and locked onto a flurry of white and red that bobbed in and out of the mountain mist. The stallion to her right straightened its ears as it too noticed the motion, and shifted its weight lazily.

  


As it approached a darker shade of red clung to the lighter shade, and a blue line whipped wildly as the winds played with it.

  


Smiling slightly the figure raised a hand and waved to the oncoming red blurs, and recognized the deep crimson robe and blue sash of their famed healer. Breaking through the mists obstructive to the sight a white haired dog demon appeared, possibly a half-breed from closer inspection, and Shizen's healer: Sai.

  


Kagami threw back her hood as she approached, and bowed slightly saying:

  


"Its wonderful to see you again Master Sai, you've come not a moment too late."

  


--------------------

  


Inuyasha had seen the figure not too far ahead, and tensed himself for a possible confrontation. He'd run all this way to the Healers Village, and he'd be damned if some fool was going to get in his way now that he'd finally reached it.

  


Putting the idea of 'strike your enemy before they strike you first' into effect he was about to claw straight through that person, until it raised a hand and waved to them. He felt Sai release one hand to make a returning wave, and guessed he knew this person.

  


As he skidded to a halt the stranger threw back the hood, revealing a dark skinned black haired woman with olive eyes. She was a lot taller than Inuyasha had expected, and he had to incline his head a little to study her strong yet gentle face. She smiled and said:

  


"Its wonderful to see you again Master Sai, you've come not a moment too late."

  


Sai answered removing himself from Inuyasha's back: "Well that's a good thing to hear. I've returned to give aid to another ailing person, and it seems this time its a bit more urgent than most cases."

  


"Hey!" Inuyasha interrupted trying to keep a civilized tone. "Have you seen a group of people pass by here? There's a girl with black hair dressed in green and white, another girl ridding a large cat, a kitsune, and a half-dead monk dressed in purple and black. Did they come here by any chance?"

  


"Oh," Kagami said looking over her shoulder to the city. "Then I guess that group I was traveling with, must be the very same people your searching for. Yes, they've arrived here safely with my assistance and I've already sent them to your residence Master Sai," she said turning to the healer.

  


"Oh! Well I'd better get going, wouldn't want to keep them waiting." He said cheerfully, but his tired face told a different story. Kagami didn't miss that.

  


"I'd be wise to travel the rest of the way on my horse Master Sai," she said softly placing an arm around his shoulders. He looked up at her and nodded knowing an argument would be useless, and allowed her to help him up.

  


"Lets move quickly," she said swinging up onto the auburn stallion behind Sai. "They should be there soon, and I'm not sure how long that man can wait."

  


Inuyasha's expression darkened momentarily before darting off after the horse, warding off the thought of losing that hentai priest now. From that point on, time seemed to be moving too slowly for him, and it felt like an eternity had passed when they had finally made their way through the city gates.

  


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** Akida**-Phew! Finally I updated eh? I hope you all haven't grown cobwebs in your joints from waiting. In any case please review and tell me how this chapter turned out, because writers block is a darn evil thing it tis.

  



	12. Lost and Found

** Akida**- Blegh, I apologize for that huge block of absence, a lot of....err.....weird crap came up and all of my creative juices were sucked dry by the Creative Juice Eating Parasite. That and some strange events occurring at home have been interfering with my writing. Anyways! another installment brought to you by your friendly (lazy-ass) author! 

** -:-Disclaimer-:-** Standard procedure still applies, I don't own Inuyasha.....yadda yadda yadda......

**My Dearest Miroku**

**By: Akida**

**Lost and Found**

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"Lets move quickly," Kagami said swinging up onto the auburn stallion behind Sai. "They should be there soon, and I'm not sure how long that man can wait."

Inuyasha's expression darkened momentarily before darting off after the horse, warding off the thought of losing that hentai priest now. From that point on, time seemed to be moving too slowly for him, and it felt like an eternity had passed when they had finally made their way through the city gates.

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Sango looked around her as she ascended the smooth white steps that zigzagged up through a mesh of vegetation, and noted the cherry trees dotted about. Various stone works were placed here and there in the grass a few paces from the stairway, and somewhere she heard the faint sounds of a small waterfall. 

"Its so peaceful here," Kagome said as she observed. "It just radiates tranquility everywhere you look."

"Yes it is nice here isn't it," Sango said absently as she turned to Kirara and shifted Miroku's position on the fire cats back.

"Its ok that its nice and quiet but I just wish we'd see the top of these stairs already!" Shippo said as he clambering clumsily onto Kagome's shoulder breathing heavily.

No sooner had he said that when a red stained wooden archway appeared ahead of them, and a great black roofed establishment emerged about 40 feet away from it. Sango looked around her gapping at how green and full of life the place was, and noticed the wide array of flower species spread about the grounds. A swishing noise caught her attention, and she turned to see a woman sweeping away dried leaves from a walkway. The woman caught sight of her, waved, and jogged over to the assembly of travelers broom in hand.

"Ma! Konnichi wa, you must be here to see the Healer Sai," she said in a sing song voice.

Sango studied her momentarily. She wore a bright orange and red yukata with a floral patter of what she guessed were cherry blossoms. Her short brown hair graced her thin face, and bright olive-green eyes complemented her obvious cheerful personality. She reminded Sango of a bird and she wondered if she was a close friend of the healer.

"Yes that's right could you take us to him, we have a friend who is very ill and we need his healing abilities." She said glancing over to the unconscious monk now being supported by Kagome.

"I'm sorry," she said with a slight frown. "But he left this morning to obtain a new herb they'd found southeast of here....But!" She said brightening up again, "He said he'd return around mid-afternoon and since it is that time he should be here any minute now! Why don't I show you to the Room of Healing, you can wait for him there."

"Thank you," Sango replied as she made her way over to help Kagome support their dead weight. She followed the woman into the foyer, which was framed in rich dark wood and decorated with simple tapestries, and then to the hall on their left which opened up on the right to overlook a small pond.

"Right this way," their guide motioned to the opened door she stood by. Sango nodded and made her way over to one of many freshly made futons, plain clean clothing laid out next to them. She turned a questioning glance to the woman walking past her, and she replied reading her thoughts.

" 'There is always a place for any sick person in the Room of Healing', that's one of the ideas that Sai-sensei has lived up to. Sometimes this room is packed full of people when a virus comes around, and despite that he will still accept people who need treatment. He's such a kind and loving soul," she trailed off with a smile as she sifted through a wicker basket. "Oh, and if you wouldn't mind could you slip your friend into those clothes over there," she said pointing to a pile on a futon placed in the middle of the room.

"Oh yes of course I.......What?!" Sango jumped as her mind registered the instructions given to her. "You don't.....you don't mean....uh.....undress him do you?!"

Looking over from her sifting in the basket of items she replied smiling cheerfully: "Well of course I mean undress him silly! How else would you have someone change clothes? Besides I'm sure he's just dying in those thick robes of his, especially if he has a high fever."

"But!....But....um....we can't just," Kagome stuttered face turning a similar shade of red that now masked the exterminators features. Shippo finally put two and two together and made an O with his mouth, as he gave both girls a sympathetic shrug.

"She is right Kagome we couldn't let him fry in these clothes of his......as tempting as that may be," she trailed off then dashed that idea. "However, there's no need for both of us to undress him so I'll do it."

"But!" Kagome began but was cut off by a quick shake of the head from Sango.

"Its alright Kagome I'll be.......fine......besides if dog boy ever found out he'd have an attack and sulk for a few weeks. Why don't you go back to the entrance and wait for them to come, they'll probably need someone to guide them here." She said forcing an uneasy smile and waited until Kagome nodded and turned to jog back the way they'd come.

"Weeeelll I guess I'll go too! She might get lost somewhere!" Shippo said blurting a quick excuse and scampered past Sango on all fours.

"Hey! Shippo-chan wait! Where are you," but her cries evaded him as the little fur ball made his escape. "That sneaky fox," she mumbled darkly as she cast a sidelong glance at the man she supported.

With a defeated groan she carefully dragged his body to the bed on the floor, laying him on his back and hesitated as a warm sensation crept up her spine. Shaking her head to clear it she reached across him and carefully undid the knot on his purple sash, letting the material fall away from his body. Biting her lip she slid her hands underneath the collar of his robe, and pulled them away from his neck as the throb of her pulse echoed in her ears. She breathed a sigh of relief as she saw a white inner robe fall away from its heavier pair, and proceeded to strip away the remainder of the thick fabric.

_ Thank the gods that he's wearing this today! But he must be hot as hell wearing all this..._

She finished peeling away the remainder of the dark thick material as the woman knelt beside her with a basin of cool water.

"Oh he wears another robe inside that one, my goodness he must be so hot wearing all those layers. Well I guess there won't be any need to change his clothes, he'll be alright in that seeing as it looks thin enough." She said taking a cloth out of the water and wringing it out before handing it to Sango. "Here, this might lower his temperature by a bit for the mean time."

Both women turned their attention to the sick man at their knees, and Sango moved to sit behind his head as she bathed his brow. She toke a sharp breath as her hand came in contact with his pale heated skin, and she felt a lump that she couldn't swallow lodge itself in her throat. Placing her free hand between his neck and shoulder she asked the woman seated close beside her:

"What is your name?"

"My name is Yume, and you are?..."

"Sango. My name is Sango and his name is Miroku," she said softly trying not to choke on her words as her vision blurred.

"There's no need to worry Sango-san," Yume said placing a hand over her trembling one. "Sai-sensei will set things right, your friend is in good hands."

_ I hope so..._ Sango thought stroking circles on his neck and tried not to notice how lifeless he appeared.

--------------------

Since Kagami had left her mount at the foot of the lengthy flight of stairs, Inuyasha carried Sai for the second time that day and toke the stairs in leaps and bounds, Kagami following after him.

The peaceful calm of their ascent was lost on the dog-demon as the surrounding trees wept past him in a blur, and he kept careful attention on Sai's condition which had improved greatly since they'd entered Shizen. He was beginning to wonder just how high he'd have to climb, when a tall red archway loomed ahead and he soon caught sight of a large shady rooftop.

"gasp We've reached it finally," Kagami said through breaths. "Phew I always knew these stairs would be the death of me."

"Heh, you could use the exercise anyway--.....Kagome?!" Inuyasha started as a girl in a familiar green and white school uniform looked up from her spot a few paces from the archway. She brightened and waved to him, urging him faster as she jogged to meet him.

"Inuyasha! We've taken Miroku to a room called the Room of Healing, and there's someone already tending to him now," she said grabbing him by the arm then looked behind him at the red robed man detaching himself from his shoulders. "Is he...?"

"Yeah he's our famous healer Sai, he doesn't look like much does he? Nearly killed himself getting here, and somehow I'm still not sure if I've got the right guy." He said glancing at him.

"Ma! Inu-chan that's a terrible thing to say, you don't doubt me do you?" He said giving him a sad puppy dog face.

"Wah-- NO no I don't doubt you....its just that....well.....you don't exactly look like you'd be a healer that's all," he said hurriedly and Kagome raised an eyebrow suppressing a giggle at his flustered expression.

"Well you know what they say 'Never judge a book by its cover'!" He replied clapping is hands together and turning his attention to Kagome. "Now then, I hear you've got an ailing friend in need of some healing?"

"Uh huh," she nodded backing away towards the foyer. "He's in a room called the Room of Healing."

The group of four took off at a brisk walk passing through the left hall of the foyer, and into the partially open doors of the Room of Healing. Inuyasha met eyes with a short brown haired woman with olive eyes, wearing a red and orange yukata, and she stood immediately with a cheerful smile and a bow.

"Konnichi wa Sai-sensei its wonderful to have you back," she said in a voice that made the dog-demon think of a birds.

"Hai, and it seems I have someone who needs my services." He said pacing over to Miroku's side and knelt placing a hand to his forehead. Moving a few raven strands from his face, he studied him momentarily casting a sidelong glance to Kagami, then sat back on his legs donning a serious expression contrary to his usual lighthearted demeanor.

"Sensei?" Yume said touching his clenched fists. He turned and locked eyes with her and she turned away hiding a slight blush.

"Hm....I must say in all my years as a healer I've never seen something like this before. What was he inflicted with may I ask?" He said turning to the group around him.

"We fought a formless demon and it gashed his left arm leaving a poison-like substance that's been running through his veins ever since. I'd say its been about.....2 and a half weeks since then." Inuyasha said removing his sword and taking a seat facing the healer.

"I see," he said returning his gaze to the death-like body before him. "Its a very unique poison that it is. I hope I'm not agitating anyone when I say this, but he already appears to wear the mask of death, and yet...." he trailed off and pressed two fingers underneath his jaw, "he still carries a faint pulse. I find it remarkable that someone can hold out this long with poison coursing through their system, but we still must act quickly lest time get the best of us. Yume-san get me my notebook please."

"H-hai!" She said crossing the room to a cabinet, rummaged in it hastily throwing a few objects to the floor, then returned and placed a worn leather bound notebook and a charcoal pencil in his out stretched hand. He leafed through it quickly passing numerous pages of scrawled writing legible to him alone, and finally found what he was looking for near the middle of the book and said:

"Ah here's what I'm looking for, its not an exact step-by-step cure for his condition," he said motioning Yume over to him as he indicated a few items that she scrawled onto a piece of paper. "But I _can_ tweak it to fit his condition. Kagami there is a red jar in that cabinet over there, if you would be so kind as to find it for me please? Inu-chan could you boil some water for me, there's a well on the eastern side of the pond over there and a fire pit on the left side of the arch way you came in from. Yume-san could you gather the items on that paper for me as quickly as you can."

"Hai Sai-sensei," Yume cried as she Kagami, and Inuyasha went about their assigned tasks.

Sai gripped Sango's hand as a muscle along her jaw twitched, said: "There is no need to fret miss, I have not encountered an illness, disease, or any affliction that I can't remedy. Your friend will be perfectly fine, I guarantee you that."

Sango peered up into the glazed milky blue eyes of the healer, thinking it a strange color for ones eyes to be, and she finally got a good look at the person who could save Miroku. Inuyasha was right he didn't appear like he would be a healer. He had long black hair with unusually blonde highlights tied back away form his lean face, and he always seemed to be wearing a smile even if he wasn't smiling at all. She felt a sense of calm and security in his presence, and she smiled beside herself at his sincere words of assurance.

"Yes I know you'll help him.....I trust you," she said as she turned her attention to the monk at her knees, blocking the rest of the world out.

_ I trust you Sai.....I've just met you but I know I can trust you with the life of this man._

--------------------

The world was dark. A vast space of inkiness that enveloped the mind and dashed the soul, and feeling was a foreign idea known only to those with awareness. Somewhere in the darkness a searing pain ripped through flesh and bone and muscle, spreading throughout the body like a fire licks hungrily at dry wood.

Somewhere in that darkness a mass curled in on itself, attempting to block out the pain cutting through every part of its composition. It whined helplessly as another shot of pain ripped through its being, and as it did it lost another piece of itself to the darkness. This pain was dismembering its host from the inside out, breaking it down bit by bit, cell by cell until nothing would remain of a pliable psyche. As another onslaught came and went, taking with it an additional piece of matter, a voice spoke to the confused body suspended within its void:

_ ::Fade....fade into nothingness oh fragile intellect of mortals....fade and become strengthened in my image. Disconnect from this incomplete and insufficient world, and become something more.... something that only I can give you....::_

As if by cue the pain seemed to mold itself into something resembling awareness. The suspended mass was suddenly awakened to a feeling of strength not in body, but in mind. A strength that cast a searing light into the mind, and memories flooded in like water rushing through a hole in a dam. Unfamiliar memories came to it, yet at the same time it was as if they had been experienced and lived through at one time or another. Answers to questions were revealed in an instant then faded into the web of time snatches, and things that seemed out of place at one time now had a meaning for their placement.

Memories of people, places, swamped around and mingled within each other. Happy memories, sad memories and all memories in between, all of them were here illuminating the darkness with their individual lights.

_ This....this feeling....its like looking through someone else's eyes and feeling what they feel, knowing what they know. This awareness, this vast understanding, yes.....I know things that I've never known! Seen things I've never seen!....this......this is what I want! This strength of mind!_

"No! Don't let it consume you!"

Another voice forced its way into the fray, dispersing the webs of memories and time fragments of past, present and future. The voice came from within, and soon the mass recognized it to be the voice that it once used. Its voice. His voice.

_ "Consume? How can such a gift as this consume me? To know so much, and see so many possible paths that one can take in the journey of life? Why is this something to be feared?"_

"Because to know so much, means to lose so much more. Would you hide behind this illusion of awareness, concocted by one who wishes to devour you? Awareness is achieved with time, and to have it thrust upon the mind at an overwhelming rate exposes that mind to any exterior or interior force. This is not awareness, this illusion is of memories taken from those that have come before you, those that have been claimed by this similar fate....These memories are imposed upon you to overwhelm your mind, and weaken it making it easy to assault by one who knows how to attack mentalities."

"!!.....Then what I'm experiencing is just a....a trick?"

"Yes, it is nothing more than a trick, but a trick that has claimed so many lives and taken their minds. You must break free before you too are consumed, and become nothing more than a distant memory among those you have already seen. Both you and the life you've lead will become apart of this web."

::Do not listen to one that clouds your judgment! Think for yourself! You know more now, at this moment, than you ever will in your entire existence! Would you throw this vast knowledge away so easily?!::

"I-I don't know.... I don't want to know, I don't want knowledge if I can't be alive again. I want to live, to feel again!"

As if triggered by those words an unbearable sensation tore through the hanging mass, and sent it into convulsions of pain as that once soothing voice became hostile and bitter. It sought to impose its will upon the mass that now hung on the edge of its finger tips, threatening to pass from its grasp into the world of reality that it could never interact with.

_ ::You will become my image! You will not leave my realm!! You will not 'live' unless I allow you to!::_

"I refuse to be molded and used!! I will never be used by anyone or anything!! I want be alive again! Tell me how I can!" The mass cried inwardly, sobbed for the soothing inner voice to reveal the identity it once possessed. "Please tell me....tell me who I am. Tell me my identity, tell me the identity that will free me from this place.....please tell me......who am I?"

::NO! DO NOT SPEAK HIS NAME!!::

"You are Miroku. Now live again....."

--------------------

Reality hit him like a ton of bricks, and the priest gasped as feeling returned to his immobile body. He ached, he ached all over, and he curled in on himself and groaned painfully. After a time he chanced opening an eye and found utter darkness and panicked momentarily before his eyes adjusted to the darkness. The sounds of the night reached his ears, and he wondered how long he'd been lying here. An even better question: How long had he been unconscious? 

Shifting painfully, he found himself laying on something soft and warm. A thick blanket wrapped around his limbs, shielded his weakened body from the nights chills that crept in through hidden cracks. Shivering violently despite the layers of warmth surrounding him, he wondered where his heavy robe was. Turning his head slowly, his eyes beheld a comforting sight: Kagome and Shippo lay above his head curled inside the layers of a faded beige blanket, and Sango sprawling close at his side.

Sighing, he slowly recalled a familiar scene like this one so long ago, and thought how similar she looked now. He suddenly felt a pang of guilt creep into his soul at the amount of anxiety he'd probably caused her, and everyone else for that matter. How far had they traveled in order to find a remedy for his infliction? What dangers had they faced just to guarantee that he'd live to see the next day? All of these thoughts compounded to form a rift in his being, one that would be jumbled in with the rest of the many holes he'd bored into his spirit over the years. 

He had a terrible habit of belittling himself.

Looking over to where Sango lay, he studied the exterminators expression. It was the same as before; a slight frown to her calm features brought on by worry, and a tense air about her body. Wincing, he reached over with a shaky pale hand and brushed stray lock of hair from her face, recoiling as she shifted restlessly. She cracked open an eye, and stretched herself silently as a yawn escaped her lips.

Miroku cringed. Crap, I didn't mean to wake her!

He reflexively/instinctively braced himself for the punishment of disturbing her slumber. He'd done it before, one too many times, and the result had been overwhelming pain that renders one incapable of proper speech. Being a demon exterminator did have its "interesting" quirks on the ability to deal out swift and effective justice. However, he froze up as her stern face broke into a tranquil smile.

"Finally decided to wake up huh?" She said lazily and turned over onto her stomach.

"Ma, Sango...I didn't mean to wake you...I just..." Miroku began, tripping over his words.

"Don't worry about it," she replied. "I'm more concerned about your need for rest. You know....you really scared all of us with your little corpse act...." You may be a sexually obsessed priest, but I don't think we'd ever be the same if you did die on us.

The monk studied her face, watching the play of emotions cross them; tension, anxiety, relief...and another unreadable one that passed too quickly to be caught by his eye. He felt like he was looking at a completely different person. She was acting so out of character that it agitated him a little, but it also made him consider the other sides of her that she kept concealed within her composed exterior. He made a mental note to try and dig up those other personas he never saw.

"Its late," he said absently looking past her at the deeply stained walls, feeling another chill cut through his body and breathed deeply.

"Hm...." Sango said in response as she drifted off to sleep, a smile hovering over her lips.

Miroku centered his focus on the ceiling and counted the odd wooden pattern running along the top, his mind wandering to his bizarre ordeal that took up a large portion of his thoughts. He found it peculiar that he could still remember it, despite the fact that it seemed he was being picked apart from the inside out...literally.

"How is it that I can remember something like that? I could feel myself becoming less and less...human....if I can say that. It was like a feeling of regression of the mind....and yet....I can recall the experience as if it was just another memory......But why? Shouldn't the trauma of the matter have done something to me? Anything at all?"

"Sometimes the mind and its workings don't always have to make sense." Miroku closed his eyes, and for once, didn't mind the presence of the secondary voice echoing through his thoughts. A sense of calm washed over him.

"But even so....it scares me to know that I can still remember it. Don't these kinds of things tend to bar themselves from someone's recollection?"

"Well, sometimes we choose to forget certain things that bring about unpleasant emotions in order to shield our own sanity, and other times they remain there in all their horrific and ghastly splendor.... but if it did effect you that much.....shouldn't you be cringing and twitching in fear?"

The monk opened his eyes and considered this for a moment. Oddly enough he didn't feel at all ruffled by the ordeal, and he was certain an experience like that should have left him in a fetal position, sucking his thumb, and sniveling about evil demons trying to eat his head. He felt physically and mentally exhausted, but he didn't feel any urgent sense of paranoia or distress. Interesting.....

"....That's....interesting..."

"There's a reason for this you know. A reason you can remember this. Hold onto that memory monk, you may find there's more to this oddity than meets your scrutiny."

"Indeed..."

And with that Miroku allowed sleep to drag his eyelids shut. He was soon caught up in a very pleasant dream about --omitted for overly descriptive content-- and let a smile spread across his pale face.

Unbeknownst to him there was another who had monitored their quiet conversation. After all was silent once more and the breathing of the exterminator and the monk had evened out, they carefully rose from the dark wooden floor where they'd lain and crossed over to another sleeping form. After some shaking and hissing, the latter awoke, a few inaudible words were exchanged, and both left the room stepping out into the chilled early morning mists that blanketed the earth. 

Akida- Oh, gomen ne. There wasn't much in plot development here. This was mostly a transition point in the story, and so that you all wouldn't hunt me down and chain me to my computer chair so I'll be forced to constantly write 24/7. So since writers block has kicked the bucket for now, and I have a plethora of fresh ideas, I'm going to get started on the next chapter!! If there are any kinks or inconsistencies in this chapter (due to me BSing most of it) please let me know so I can tweak it! Now go review and let me know your all still alive out there.


	13. Alive and loving it!

**Akida**- I'm baaaack! And I've come to the realization that this is the 13th chapter, and I really hope superstition doesn't get in the way and screw with my writing. ::Sits in a circle of scrolls and holy water holding an ofuda:: But just in case I've come equipped with the necessary supplies. By the way, I have no idea how long this story is going to be, but I do plan to introduce one more character while getting to the more interesting details that are festering in my head as we speak. Also, there's a particular section in this chapter that might confuse the hell out of you! But asking me to explain it is impossible, because I have no idea where it came from and how this simple little mind was able to fabricate it. But I will tell you that you can get the weirdest ideas for a story when your typing at 2 am on a caffeine high, combined with a healthy dose of insomnia. O.o

**LuClipse85**: Physiological stuff always interested me...Guess that's why I like Gothika and Secret Window so much...o.O....Ugh, scary.

**Sango'n"Miroku4ever**: Yeah, ff.net has been evil for a while, that was half of the reason I couldn't update sooner...and...I'm a bit of a lazy ass XP

**LishaVilla**: Well as for Sango's lack of reaction...how awake would you be at 2:00 am? Besides I plan to make up for that in this chapter.

**Aprill May**: More important then homework? Wow that's saying something! ::sniffs:: I feel so special! ::cries::

**Aamalie**: 0.o Please don't hunt down authors. That causes great anxiety and paranoia amongst us...

**SoJoHunter**: Arigatou. But sometimes I wonder how "funny" it really is...I mean so far its been dripping with angst and morbidity with no hope for light humor...hm....maybe it IS time for some funniness ::Goes off to read "Comedy for Dummies"::

**Stephanie**: I'm glad you like it! All its given me is a massive brain overload o0. Ugh....so much thinking involved....too much...for brain to handle .

**Warnings:** (I figured I should start getting into the habit of putting something like this up.) Not much in the way of warnings besides the usual Miroku perversion, mild language, physiological junk that makes you actually have to use your head in order to understand half of what's being said, and a few made up words......Yes I said "Made up Words"! Fear them!

**-:-Disclaimer-:-** Standard procedure still applies, I don't own Inuyasha........but I do ::believe:: I own Miroku!

**Miroku**: You don't own me....I'm already a registered trademark. ::shows tattoo of trademarkiness on his arm:: See.

**Akida:** --; Fine be that way, but that doesn't mean I still can't kidnap you and stuff you in a basement. ::evil grin::

**Miroku**: o.O

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****

**My Dearest Miroku**

**By: Akida**

**Alive and loving it!**

))((--------------------------------------------------------------------))((

_ "There's a reason for this you know. A reason you can remember this. Hold onto that memory monk, you may find there's more to this oddity than meets your scrutiny."_

_ "Indeed..."_

And with that Miroku allowed sleep to drag his eyelids shut. He was soon caught up in a very pleasant dream about --_omitted for overly descriptive content_-- and let a smile spread across his pale face.

Unbeknownst to him there was another who had monitored their quiet conversation. After all was silent once more and the breathing of the exterminator and the monk had evened out, they carefully rose from the dark wooden floor where they'd lain and crossed over to another sleeping form. After some shaking and hissing, the latter awoke, a few inaudible words were exchanged, and both left the room stepping out into the chilled early morning mists that blanketed the earth.

))((--------------------------------------------------------------------))((

Sango paced along the polished wooden floors in front of the Room of Healing, with a frustrated look on her face that could be mistaken for a snarl. She wondered absently if she was creating a hole where she paced to and fro like a caged animal ready to tear apart its next meal.

_ Damn it! Damn it! Damn it all!! I must be the most retarded person on the face of the earth! Why the hell didn't I do anything?! I just laid there like some decayed corpse! Argh!!_

She stopped and ground her teeth, ignoring the twitching muscle along her jaw line. The realization that Miroku had awoken from his coma hadn't set in until about half an hour after he'd gone to sleep, then she'd flipped out and mentally beat herself for her lack of reaction. She had even planned what she was going to and what to say when he awoke, and somehow that had overloaded her mind cutting out some rational thought. She spent the rest of the night staring at him just in case he awoke, and whimpered pitifully as she realized how stupid she'd been.

She stopped pacing and mentally cursed herself again and stared at her toes shivering slightly. She decided that she didn't like the yukata she was wearing. It was too thin and it didn't cover nearly enough over her body as it should, allowing for a very revealing view of her chest and she wondered how much of her posterior was showing. Yume had let her change out of her uniform offering to wash it for her, and had given some of her clothing to wear in the meantime. But, if she'd known it was going to be this small, she would have just asked Kagome if she had any extra clothes to wear, as strange as they were.

"I might as well not wear anything at all," she grumbled darkly staring at the late morning sky. Although the sun was out the mist and chilled air still reigned over the lands, and she wondered if this was how the mountainous regions always remained. Inhaling deeply a blur of movement from the corner of her eye caught her attention, and she staggered back slightly.

Miroku strode shakily through the entryway to the room and stretched slowly, satisfied with the amount of pops and creaks that emitted form his stiff body. He'd taken out his ponytail and his raven shoulder length hair blended smoothly with the long cream colored robe he wore. Although he still remained deathly pale, he looked more alive than he'd ever been during the time Sango had been with him.

She gazed at him as a mix of emotions passed through her, and she had the impulse to run her hands through his hair wondering if it would be as silky as it looked. Somehow, even though he looked half dead, she hadn't seen him like this before. He seemed almost...handsome. It confused her even more. It was unexplainable.

He turned to her suddenly and flashed her a brief smile, said: "Ohayo gozaimasu Sango. Surprised to see me up and about?" Although, he was speaking to her she heard his words from a distance and it came to her in muffled fuzziness. Her body moved on its own after that and before she could restrain herself she was wrapping her arms around the stunned monks neck, and pressing herself to him in a back breaking embrace.

"Miroku!! I'm so happy your alright!! I was so worried about you, I was practically losing hair at the thought that you weren't going to wake up!!" She said ecstatically oblivious to Miroku's attempts at keeping himself from the nose bleed area, and making sure his hands were glued to his sides to prevent roaming appendages to certain areas of the female body stuck to him. His eyes however were another matter, and from his view over her shoulder, he could see well down her back noticing she was showing more of her legs and rear than he'd wanted. He wondered why she'd wear something so thin and revealing.

"I'm so sorry I didn't say anything intelligent to you when you woke up last night," she said pulling away from him and grasped his shoulders, causing another wave of forced self control to pass through the monk.

"I was just so shocked that you'd awoken that it really only hit me after you'd gone to sleep again. Everyone's been so concerned about your condition, and even after that Healer Sai extracted the poison from you, you still didn't wake up for a whole week and a half. That week seemed like years to me," she said trailing off staring at a falling leaf which landed on the hard wood floor beside her.

"Oh that's right! You must be starving! I'll have Yume bring you something to eat, don't move now I'll be right back," and before he could say anything she'd bounded down the hall and disappeared around the corner, leaving him in a confused and ruffled state.

After a moment of rearranging himself, he strode back into the Room of Healing and sat down on the still warm futon he'd lain on, the unusual events that occurred a few minutes ago.

_ Whoa....is she the same person that I've been traveling with for so long? Or did someone switch places with her and steal her face... Its completely out of character...._

I agree...there's something a little off about her, perhaps she **has** been switched with someone....or something...

I don't suppose that it would be a succubus in Sango's form would it?

Yeah, you wish....

His "in mind" conversation was cut short as Sango returned with a girl with short brain hair and large watery green eyes set into a girlish face. She wore a purple kimono with pink flowers dotted throughout the fabric. She bowed quickly and introduced herself:

"Kangei sir. My name is Yume and I'm the apprentice of the Healer Sai, the one who extracted that awful poison from your body. Kagami-sama was the one who brought you here, she's around here somewhere, and the rest of your friends have gone off with Sai-sensei to run a few errands," She said setting a tray down beside him and removing the tea set laid upon it. "I'm very glad that your awake now. A week and a half of sleeping has indeed done your health well," she said with an airy giggle that spread an uncontrollable smile across his face. Sango gave him a dangerous look as she lowered herself and sat on her knees, but he didn't notice it and replied:

"I thank you very much for tending to me over the days, but I would very much like to know what's happened over the past few weeks." He said donning a serious expression.

Yume and Sango began the recount of events from the time he'd lost consciousness on the road to the present. Sango omitted their strange encounter with his feral "alter-ego" in the misty miasma, (Chapter 8-9) and decided to tread on safer ground. She knew when information about someone could be damaging to the mind and body, and since Miroku's body had been damaged thoroughly already she didn't even want to tease the tense ball of nerves that was his mind. They'd gone through 4 helpings of the now lukewarm tea.

Miroku however, saw the inconsistencies of their tale and rubbed the rim of his cup in agitation. A part of him felt a little angry at them for not revealing the entire truth in its gruesome light, but another half wanted to remain ignorant of his actions. It was too soon to know everything yet. His body and mind were exhausted and aching and one more emotional hammer strike wasn't what he needed now. Instead he raised his head and smiled nodding.

"Thank you. At least now I'm a little up to date with things. It is indeed overwhelming but I guess that's all in the past now. I'm still breathing and that's all that matters to me at the moment....that and a bath." He said turning a slight pink tinge. Sango shook her head sighing. Yume muffled a giggle and said:

"I can show you to the small hot spring in the back if you'd like to clean up there." She said rising from the rush matted floor. "We usually use it for guests with severe pain, and recently healed injuries, but your most welcome to it. Hmm....but first I need to go see Kagami-sama about something." She bowed flashing him a grin and promptly exited the room, with Miroku's eyes following after.

Sango eyed him, said: "Strange.....maybe you really are still sick after all..."

"Neh?"

"You didn't even ask her if she wanted to 'bear your child'," she said raising her head but keeping her eyes in a belittling glare.

He grinned broadly and returned her mocking glare: "Your correct in your observations....hope personality disorder isn't a side effect of whatever concoction that healer gave to me."

They sat for a moment exchanging looks which turned into a glaring contest but before long they had broken out in peals of laughter. Miroku clutched his sides in pain but continued to laugh, and cast a glance at the doubled up wreathing mass of limbs on the floor that was Sango. He calmed his outburst massaging his ribs, and unwittingly cast a closer inspection of his female companion.

He hadn't realized before but the yukata she wore was _very_ thin and _very_ small. Although she wore her skin tight exterminators uniform on occasions, it didn't compliment her strong graceful figure as did this set of clothing. His eyes trailed over her taking in every smooth curve every thrashing movement, and was caught momentarily at the exposed valley of her breasts as they heaved from her steady breathing after a bought of manic cackling. 

She caught his gaze on her and something warm shot down her spine. She ignored it and pulled herself up into a sitting position and stared at his face, said:

"Miroku? You alright? You look a little out of--neh?!"

She followed his gaze to her nearly exposed chest, and turned 4 different shades of red before balling up her hand in a fist and raising it behind her head. She paused as she saw him cringe violently, frowned at him, growled, then let her arm drop.

"Tch, I'll let it slide for now you sexually obsessed "holy-man"...Besides you are still recovering and it just wouldn't do to mutilate an already half-dead person....and I guess Yume's attire is a little small for me." She said turning away and scratching the back of her head.

Shaking himself from his reverie he shook his head furiously, saying: "Ah, no no no Sango! Actually it complements your figure wonderfully! Ack! _Ho crap, now I've done it!! Gah, insert foot in mouth!_" He slapped his hands over his mouth and glanced fearfully at the exterminator, wanting very much to meld into the floor about now. You just don't say stuff like that to Sango and get away with it.

She merely stared at him and blushed violently, speechless. She wasn't quite sure how to react. She'd never been complemented like that buy a man before, even if that man happened to be Miroku...enough said there, and she fidgeted slightly and said: "Th--Thank you. No ones ever said something like that to me before." She smiled shyly, then pasted her ice queen face on. "But don't think just because you complimented me means your any less of a sicko than you already are...for all I know...this is probably one of your many unimaginative pick-up lines."

"Eheh," Miroku grinned nervously. _But I really mean it you know... _

Sango turned her head suddenly, listened, then rose slowly. "I think...they've come back....Inuyasha and the others that is." She said walking over to the door and peering out. She nodded as if mentally confirming her declaration, then turned to Miroku, taking a second look at the monk. She had to admit to herself, he wasn't a bad looking guy and he'd been a loyal, trustworthy companion on their never ending quest. Yet there was something else behind those deep dark pools. It wasn't there before but now it remained to torture her to no end with its mysterious meaning; It was something kind and soothing yet feral and predatory. It worried her.

"Come on," she said smiling broadly as she extended her hand to him. "Might as well let them know your not at deaths doorstep anymore."

"Heh heh indeed," he sighed haggardly taking her hand in his, and hoisting his body from its comfortable position on the floor.

--------------------

"NO!! THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE!! You can say _TO-MAY-TO_ or _TO-MAA-TO_ and they'll still be the SAME THING!!"

"OH GIMME A BREAK!! WHO SAYS _TO-MAA-TO_ ANYWAY?!" 

"sigh How'd _this_ conversation get started again?"

Kagome re-shouldered a satchel of herbs and concentrated on climbing the last few stairs towards their temporary home, and not on Shippo and Sai's unintelligent argument. Although the healer was correct, he had the attitude of an irritated mule when it came to proving that he was right and you were wrong, and pairing him up with the fox-child only inflamed that personality quirk. They had been at it ever since they'd entered the city from their errand to a neighboring herb growing village, and had attracted a little too much attention.

"Those two are gonna go on forever. sigh Geez they almost remind me of you when your fighting your brother Inuyasha.....Inuyasha?" She stopped momentarily and looked behind her watching the hanyou make slow progress up the stairs, arms folded within his sleeves with a pensive expression.

Inuyasha ignored his companion and instead reflected on what the healer had dragged him out of sleep and out into the cold last night for. His words were still fresh in his mind, and no matter how he tried he could not erase them from his memory. He breathed unevenly and turned the information over in his mind again for a replay:

----------))((_Long Flashback_))((---------- 

(Sorry! Bear with me!)

_ Inuyasha followed Sai for god knows how long through the maze of his abode, keeping the uneasy silence that was brewing unbroken. The healer was acting oddly, his scent held in it the emotion of distress and pain among other things, but he decided not to inquire about it until they had reached their destination._

The healer had a sickly unhealthy look about him tonight and he carried himself in a wraithlike manner as he walked the halls of his residence, seeking out the area he'd wanted to rest in as he unfolded the pages of his mind to his demon guest.

Moments later they came to a simple wooden balcony. A few padded rush mats lay about the area, an assortment of wall hangings lined the room as well as a variety of beaded strings hanging from the overhang, and the scent of incense burned somewhere within the room. Sai lowered himself to the ground as if he'd aged nearly 60 years, and motioned for him to sit as well.

Inuyasha studied him as he seated himself in a cross legged position. Gone was the smile and bubbly personality that plastered his face and a Grim Reaper-like visage replaced it. He didn't appear to be in the best of health either, and Inuyasha could pick up the labored breathing if he concentrated enough. He had to admit, the healer was very good at disguising his uncomfortable condition.

"So what did you want to talk to me about? Miroku I suppose."

Sai nodded slowly, said: "Precisely. I believe it is important that I inform you of certain...things... before they actually come about. I advise that you soak up this information like a sponge." He stopped to clear his throat.

"The poison I extracted was indeed a very unique one at that, however I had not considered how or why it is unique and thought nothing of it. Yet I remembered your account of the tale as to how he was inflicted with it and formed a hypothesis based upon it. I'll try to explain as clearly as I can, but even this does not even make full sense to me.

"His 'death-like' state as you would call it had occurred once before this in a cave on your way here, and you told me that that was when you noticed a significant change in his attitude. He seemed moodier than usual, anti social, and then it would clear up as if nothing happened and return again as suddenly as it had left. You also told me that you encountered a **different** Miroku in that miasma incident, and could not decipher if it was a shape-shifter of some sort or perhaps he'd been possessed.

"However if it had been a shape-shifter you would have picked up the demons aura....there was none correct? And the possibility that he had been possessed can be ruled out due to his spiritual awareness right? Good. Now from what I've assessed, your friend has neither been possessed or had his face stolen. Its more of an.....an.....inner animal thing."

Inuyasha stared at him raising an eyebrow. "An.....inner **animal** thing?"

"Yes an inner animal thing," Sai repeated tilting his head. "You can compare it to the state of parental aggression that a mother feels for her child in a time of crisis- how protective and wary you become all for the safety of ones offspring. Or it could be a more negative state like that of sheer blind rage that a warrior can experience during battle, even though he's been wounded to the point of death. Its an instinct driven thing that operates on a level beyond reason and rationality, and with this drive one can perform unimaginable feats that you couldn't possibly attempt under normal circumstances.

"Now keeping that in mind let me tell you about a batch of people who have found a way to remain this way for the rest of their unnatural lives. They have harnessed that raw power and have converted themselves into beasts that live only to challenge those with power and to torture those weaker than themselves. They have thrown away rationality and logic in order to attain this strength, but at one time or another they were ordinary human beings. We call them the Lost Children, but you have probably heard them referred to as Berserkers.

Inuyasha shifted his weight and leaned back onto his arm, suddenly realizing the light that had been turned on in his head. He remembered fighting the demon again, and it seemed to him that it was driven by a force of intense hatred, all of which was centered towards Miroku for some odd reason. He remembered how hard it had been to take it down. No matter where he hit it, vital organ or not, the damn thing wouldn't die! It was like it couldn't feel the pain at all. He shivered slightly at how something could end up like that....something that had once been a living breathing human being....weak and fragile, but now powerful and invincible.

"But what of Miroku? Why him of all people? I was the one that was in its face after all." Inuyasha inquired.

"Hmm...I'm not sure about that, perhaps he thought of him as more of a threat than you?" Sai said throwing the possibility out on the table.

"Well....he does have that wind tunnel... Ah! That must've been it! It doesn't matter how strong an opponent we face, he can draw them into that void of his no matter who or what were up against if he gets the chance to. I see....that makes perfect sense, what good is unimaginable power when your getting sucked into a hole."

"Huh, good show of brain work Inu-chan! I didn't think you had it in you...Err ::cough:: anyway that's not even the half of it, now let me tell you the rest." Sai said fidgeting slightly from the glare he received.

"Alright where was I? Oh yes! Now the state of changes to these people is on a mind level because, after all, the body cannot function without the mind and vice versa. So, in order to penetrate the mind one must weaken the body, which in this case is by a poisonous substance, and thus allows anything to enter the mind from there after until the healing process is complete. Somehow this process causes the mind to remember those primitive days when survival was the key to everything, and thus sets it on an animalistic course of thought. This also triggers a physical change and the end result is what you could call a "mirror of ones soul", or basically what they truly are on the inside begins to rear its ugly head, and the process of 'berserkerilization' begins."

Sai inhaled deeply, signifying the end of his lecture and flopped back onto his hands, exhausted from using so many brain cells at once.

Inuyasha looked at him like a blank sheet of paper. Apparently this was a bit too complex for the simple minded dog demon to digest. However a few things did sink in:

"So.....let me get this straight." Inuyasha began sitting forward and narrowing his eyes. "Somewhere along the lines of Miroku's infliction....some kind of substance has infested itself inside him....and its starting to eat away at his mind, and force him to become the savage beast that's been 'sleeping' inside him....and its going to have the sensibility of a pissed off mutant demon toddler? Right?"

"If that's how you perceive it....then....yeah....I guess you could say that's what's going to happen to him." Sai replied blinking sheepishly.

Inuyasha face faulted digging his claws into the wood work, suppressing the urge to rip a certain healers face off. "Then why the hell didn't you just say that in the first place?! All I wanted was an explanation not a friggin novel!! What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"Ma! Gomen ne Inu-chan! Its just that if I didn't tell you the whole thing, then I would leave out important information that might be needed later. ::sigh:: But even so, I'm still wondering how I thought that whole explanation up all by myself! Hee hee." Sai said feeling much pride in the collection of rusty gears that was his brain.

"Huh, somehow I just don't believe that someone like **you** could think up something as complex as **that**. It seems a little too unrealistic," he said sighing in disbelief eyeing the black and blonde haired man. "And speaking of strange things....your not too normal yourself healer."

Sai frowned and shot him a baffled look, smiled thinly, and nodded: "Hu....well I was wondering when you would bring that up... to think I am a healer myself striving to ease the pain of others, and completely disregard my own infirmity. Such a contrary thing it is...." He said trailing off finding a new interest in a loose thread.

"Sai.....there's something wrong with you and your not even going to do anything about it?" Inuyasha began with concern and...frustration? "Don't you give care what happens to you at all? Your a healer for gods sake! You don't even want to help yourself?"

"The well being of the people come before my own, that is my duty as one who eases pain and discomfort."

"Oh so its alright for you to die just so long as they live?! Do you hear yourself saying this?! Its nonsense!! Do you really think that your so insignificant that you couldn't give a rats ass about your own condition!! What's wrong with you!! Are you so eager to reach an early grave idiot?!"

"That's not what I am saying Inuyasha! All I'm saying is that as long as I can heal others, it shouldn't matter what happens to me-"

"**People don't want to be treated by a corpse you stupid mortal! Do you really not give a shit about your own life that you wouldn't try and cure yourself first?!!**"

"**Don't you think that if I knew a way to cure myself I would have done it a helluva long time ago?!**"

Inuyasha stopped, fists clenched, breathing heavily as he looked down on the shivering mass below him. Sai turned his tear stained face to the demon, milky blue pools filled with life's injustices'.

"Do you think I want to die? Do you think I've accepted my fate?" He began through sobs. "Of course not. I don't have the power to heal my affliction...I don't know how to cure myself...And I don't know how long I have left to live on this earth...so now I'm doing the only thing I can do....help people."

The hanyou sank to his knees in front of the distraught man at a loss for what to do.

"Its like some hungry animal eating away at me....it scares me that I can't get ride of it and I can't cure it. I'm afraid to even cough around people now... because I'm afraid I'll cough up blood... I'm so vulnerable to everything, and I can't do a damn thing about it!! So no I don't want to die! But what do you expect me to do?! What am I supposed to do!!--"

He broke off as he succumbed to his grief weeping behind his pale hands. Inuyasha swallowed the lump in his throat, padded slowly over to the ball of nerves, and placed a hand on his thin shoulders. Sai looked up at him through his bleary vision.

"I really...don't want....to die...." He whimpered pitifully before collapsing into the unsuspecting dog demons arms, starting up a fresh bout of tears.

Inuyasha tensed momentarily, not at all appreciating the sudden invasion of his space for the Nth time, but he let it slide and wrapped a loose arm around the healers shoulders. He may as well be a little nicer to the guy, at least Miroku could escape the critical part of his ailment, Sai didn't have much of a choice in the matter.

It made him feel a tad guilty that he was immune to sickness due to his half demon strength, but perhaps there was still something he could do to help Sai. Maybe he was just a weak human, but then again so was Kagome, and he had protected her regardless. Averting his eyes from the sobbing mass beside him a plan began to formulate in his mind.

"Damn it...I must be getting soft."

----------))((_End Long Flashback_))((---------- 

Sango and Miroku had met the group of four at the entrance, exchanging greetings and opinions on the correct way to say "tomato". Yume had returned for Miroku who was more than happy to take that much needed bath. She then led the group to another interestingly decorated room on the west side of the residence which had a beautiful view of the city below the hill. Kagami returned from a brief meeting with a few of her superiors and joined them to ease her nerves.

"I keep telling them to increase security around the eastern region but do they listen? Noo of course not! They'd rather be hard headed and stupid," she said tapping the edge of her cup angrily, its contents had gone cold a long time ago.

"You'd think they'd want to beef up watch on those areas," Sai said accepting another cup of tea from Yume. "Those ruffians have been giving us a great deal of trouble, ::sigh:: and I fear its only going to get worse. Not that I don't mind the increase in demand for my services, it's just that there's a point to where it just gets ridiculous."

"But anyway I'm sure your all wanting to know my diagnosis of your dear friends affliction," Sai said unaware at the frosty look Inuyasha gave him.

"Yes please tell us," Miroku said sitting up straighter. "I had a feeling this wasn't the end of it."

"Well basically that poison has somehow altered you both physically and mentally, so all I can say for now is that you should keep a close eye on yourself and notify me if you notice anything out of place." Sai concluded.

Inuyasha glared at him. _What? He couldn't give me the summary too? Damn good for nothing..._

"Wonderful," Miroku sighed massaging his temples. "So basically I'm going to turn into something inhuman right?"

"Well....err...yes and no....Its complicated, and since I don't have my notebook with me I can't explain it to you. Besides the mind and its workings was never my forte as I'm a Healer by trade..." He said trailing off donning a sudden sickened look, taking a fleeting glance in Kagami's direction.

"Well isn't there someone who _does_ know something about mind stuff?" Shippo piped up from around a mouthful of lollipop Kagome had stashed away for him.

"Uh...y-yer...uh," Sai stuttered and turned helplessly towards Kagami who was giving him a queasy look. Laughing uneasily he returned his attention to his suspicious audience. "Well....there is......one.....person who could....um......help......assist....."

"Oh that's great!" Sango exclaimed happily. Finally something was going right! "Who is this person? They must be really smart if they know anything about someone's mind."

"Well...erm...he goes by the name of....uh..." Sai looked nervously over to Kagami, and she nodded in understanding."

"He goes by the name Tetsuko Oshida, third son of Jocatsu (yo-cat-su) Oshida. Despite his upbringing he has strove to train himself in the workings of the mind," Kagami said picking up where Sai left off. "He's probably the best person to go to at this moment....however......"

"However?.." Inuyasha repeated wondering why the air in the room had suddenly gone tense. He glanced at his friends as they exchanged uncertain looks, and returned his gaze to Kagami.

"He's a bit...._interesting_...is all I can describe him as. Most people who pick up a particular interest in how the mind works are usually a little strange." She said casting an unreadable glance towards the fidgeting healer. "They like to torment people by speaking in riddles, or getting under your skin somehow, and just generally having a grand old time freaking you out. Basically...society would rather not associate itself with them....however there very easy to find."

"I can imagine," Kagome said wondering what kind of people she knew were like that. _People around this era incredibly superstitious, I bet just about **anything** these people do freaks 'em out_

Miroku sighed wearily. Great, just what he needed, another strange person poking around at his flesh trying to find out what was wrong with him. He'd had about enough and he wanted to return to Kaede's village and sleep for a few days, however if there was more information that needed to be found in order to confirm his health then maybe he could bear with it.

"As long as this person can help us further than we should consult this Tetsuko Oshida. Strange or not if he has answers to our questions then what's to worry about? Besides, I've already met and traveled with the strangest group of people already, I don't think there's anything that's going to surprise me now."

"Exactly! I don't think meeting one more freak is gonna hurt? Right Kagome?" Shippo said turning his large eyes to his older friend.

"Right! Besides I want to make sure Miroku is really going to be alright, I'd be really bad if something terrible happened because we didn't see another bizarre person! So lets take this with an open mind do what we have to do!"

"Huh, that's easy for you to say." Sai mumbled anxiously.

"You say something Healer," Inuyasha said eyeing him warily.

"What! Who me? Of course not Inu-chan Ahaha! I didn't say a word! You must be hearing things, you should have that checked you know...could be hearing loss and what not. Eheh." He trailed off as Inuyasha didn't seem to be convinced by his display. "Ahem, anyway it actually isn't too far from here.....eh due east of this city I believe.....so it shouldn't take us any time at all.."

"Right then we'll leave tomorrow morning," Sango said determination evident in her voice. "Hopefully this trip will end everything and things can finally settle down again."

Inuyasha, however, had different sentiments than the suddenly optimistic exterminator and her two enthusiastic friends. He cast a glance towards the monk and held his gaze for a moment. Miroku knew information was being withheld from him again, and he knew somehow that Inuyasha and Sai had what he wanted; the truth. Inuyasha saw the question in the monk's eyes and shook his head slowly.

_ I know you want to know the whole gruesome tale but not right now, there's just too much we don't know. We have to be sure that were giving you the 'truth'._

The hanyou blinked in surprise as Miroku nodded, almost as if he had known what he was thinking. Sensed it somehow. He decided to let it go for another time. After all, this was still only the beginning and there was certain to be more to come.

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** Akida**- Oh my god my brain hurts!!! There's way too much "make you think" stuff in here. ::has a silent meltdown:: Anyway, I completely blanked out after that really long flashback scene....seems it sucked out all of my noodle juices. o.0 So, yeah, that's why it took me so long to update...I was having brain problems. Well, since my head hurts and I don't have anything else to say to fill up this space how about giving the author a few reviews? A lot of reviews is also appreciated too. And by the way, thank you for reading this story. I know I am so friggin slow when it comes to updates, but my brain already has another idea for a story so....yeah...overload. Anyways, onward and upward!


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